FITPosture and Friday Night Lights
Marcus, age 17 lead the football team in rushing yards and amount of touchdowns scored. A star athlete since flag football, Marcus really shined throughout football training as a high school athlete. He lead his team physically and mentally. He is not only a great athlete, but a great leader on and off the field as well.
You can imagine the despair that Marcus felt when he was pulled from the game in the semifinals of the state tournament due to a neck injury. Marcus wanted his moment to shine so he shook off the pain, saying, “it hurts a little bit, but I’m fine.” His coach, his family, and his team were all rooting for him; they wanted him to finish the season on the field where he belonged. The state tournament is the best opportunity to be spotted by scouts, Marcus felt like his future was riding on this game.
However, Marcus didn’t receive medical clearance to play in the championship. In the semifinals Marcus had suffered from a mild concussion and neck injury when he was tackled on a punt return. He was hit unexpectedly from the side with his head down causing mild axial loading of the cervical spine. After the hit Marcus was out of it. He sat out the last 9 minutes of the game. This didn’t affect Marcus too much since the team had won the game 27-14. What really affected Marcus was not getting clearance to play in the championship the following week.
The axial load to the cervical spine and the minor concussion was concerning to doctors. Although Marcus did not demonstrate any signs of cervical fracture and was able to move his neck without excruciating pain, he did demonstrate a decreased range of motion, postural changes, and muscle guarding. It wasn’t worth the risk of putting on the helmet and playing in the game the next week. Aggravated cervical spine and post-concussion injury could contribute to long-term postural distortion patterns and pathophysiologic discrepancies.
Although Marcus’s parents were equally devastated for him, they recognized the risk of suiting up for the big game. They agreed with the doctor that Marcus should stay on the sideline for the championship. He was only a junior and would have another shot at State next year. Marcus and his parents decided in that moment that they would do everything they could to keep him healthy and strong for the next season.
After suffering from the cervical spine injury there were postural distortion patterns that needed to be corrected. He did specific cervical structural rehabilitation after his injury to heal the acutely injured tissues. After objective restoration of the original injury, Marcus then did FITPosture training in preparation for the following season.
FITPosture is an all-inclusive preseason training program to prepare athletes to peak during the season and prevent injuries. Marcus focused on balance training, dynamic postural correction during functional movements, and core stability. He was more prepared for his senior year of football season than any of his competitors.
His hard work paid off. One year later Marcus celebrated winning the State Tournament with his teammates. He was awarded Most Valuable Player and was rewarded with multiple full ride football scholarships to choose from. Marcus achieved his dream of being an All-State athlete with a college career! His hard work and determination were the factors that set Marcus apart on and off the field.
Marcus led his team to victory and achieved health triumph. His senior year was the pinnacle of his high school experience; it was those Friday night lights, the football madness, and FITPosture that made it a memorable senior year with scholarships to attend a college of his choice.
Marcus said with a smile, “I better level up my FITPosture for college preseason!”
