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Contact: Justin Leonard, Achievement & Assessment Institute, 785-864-0753, [email protected]
New KU initiative uses cutting-edge sports technology to help Kansas high school athletes train smarter
LAWRENCE — A new initiative at the University of Kansas helps Kansas high school athletes train smarter and stay healthier, and it sets the stage for groundbreaking sports science research.
KU welcomed 30 student-athletes from Bonner Springs High School last week for a pilot of the Sports Translational Research for Improved Development and Excellence (STRIDE) program to collect performance data and improve student-athlete outcomes.
Headed by the Jayhawk Athletic Performance Laboratory (JAPL), a center within the Achievement & Assessment Institute, STRIDE engages coaches and student athletes from local high schools by introducing them to JAPL and professional-level performance testing equipment.
“There are in-school programs where coaches may be doing their own testing, but we provide numerous assessment capabilities that you don’t typically see in a high school,” said JAPL Director Thayne Munce, who is also an associate professor of health, sport & exercise science at KU. “We also have experts who help interpret the data and report it back.”
Students participated in a series of tests using cutting-edge technology, including force plate jumps, grip strength tests and motion-capture sprints. The data collected will be used to create personalized reports on each athlete and provide coaches with training recommendations.
“The data and the reports will help us better develop our athletes to perform better, minimize injury or eliminate it,” said Byron Mays, a strength and conditioning coach at Bonner Springs High School. “We plan on implementing recommendations immediately, and we hope to continue to have a working relationship with the University of Kansas to be on the cutting edge of athlete development.”
A large group of students testing with JAPL helps researchers better understand long-term athlete development across different ages and sports, potentially leading to valuable research findings in the field of sports science. The program also serves as a screening tool for early detection of health problems or habits that could lead to injuries.
“We want high school sports to be a good and memorable experience, whether the student plans to continue in college or not,” said Quincy Johnson, associate director of JAPL and assistant professor of health, sport & exercise science at KU. “If we are able to catch things at the high school level, we can introduce an early intervention that enhances athletic performance while minimizing injuries.”
Bonner Springs High School is the first school to participate in STRIDE. Program researchers plan to use feedback from coaches to improve STRIDE and make it more efficient and meaningful for future participants. The center is seeking funding for the program through funders like the Frontiers Clinical and Translational Science Institute.
Although STRIDE is in the preliminary stages, Munce and Johnson hope to see the program grow to include a cohort of schools excited to improve health outcomes for youth across the state.
“We know what poor health looks like, but what about the healthiest individuals?” Johnson said. “If we can collaborate with more schools and collect enough data, then we can look at healthy individuals on a larger scale and provide recommendations, health interventions and education opportunities across Kansas.”
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Erinn Barcomb-Peterson, director of news and media relations, [email protected]
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