Interview
CTSQ Research Grant recipients, Dr. Richard DeMont and Bachelor student Frédérique Labelle, both of whom are members of our association, recently agreed to give us a brief interview to discuss the project that helped them win the grant.
Frédérique, could you give us a brief idea of why you chose to study athletic therapy?
F: As a young girl, I was always physically active, and as a result, I had my fair share of injuries. When it came time to choose a career, I thought about going into physiotherapy, since I already had a background in the area. But then I discovered Concordia’s athletic therapy program and the specialization this profession offered, working directly with athletes. Since I really wanted to treat athletes in my professional life, I decided to enroll in the Concordia program, which seemed to be a better match for my expectations.
Dr. DeMont, could you provide us with a quick overview of your area of research?
D: Very briefly, I work on the neuromuscular system and its connection to injury prevention and rehabilitation. More specifically, I focus on pre-activation as a means of stabilizing the joints through movement. As a result, I touch on various facets of the field, including young athletes’ ability to learn fundamental movement skills.
Tell us more about the project you submitted for this grant.
D: The project that Frédérique and I are working on is related to injury-prevention programs. These come in several forms, like the FIFA 11+ program. We have also found good references in the scientific literature that corroborate the effectiveness of several of these programs. However, despite the abundant research on these programs, they seem to be missing in action out in the field. As a result, we are looking to conduct a study with trainers – mainly for female teams – to uncover the answers to three simple questions: first, are they aware of injury-prevention programs? Second, if they are, do they use them? And third, if the answer is no: why not? We want to understand the barriers that are preventing these kinds of programs from being adopted by athletic associations.
Frédérique, how did you come to work on this subject as part of your master’s program?
F: When it came time to choose a subject for my master’s work, I had to find a professor to work with. So I set two conditions in my mind: I obviously needed to have a certain affinity with the professor, and his or her research had to match my areas of interest.
D: It’s true, master’s students eventually have to choose a topic for their thesis, and the professor’s role is to guide students and assist them with their work. When the topic doesn’t correspond with the supervisor’s areas of interest, much of the help and guidance they can provide gets lost.
F: After discussing things with Dr. DeMont, I became interested in his work, so I joined him as an associate. This project is my first as a master’s student, however, I am in no way obliged to continue working on this subject for my thesis. During my bachelor’s degree, my favourite courses were always specializations, and that’s why I chose a professor who is more focused on athletic therapy than on exercise science. I still haven’t decided what topic I want to work on for my thesis.
Why did you want to enroll in your Master’s
F: I am committed to deepening my knowledge of the field of athletic therapy. I like the balance that studying offers me and my thirst for knowledge hasn’t yet been satisfied, even after four years of undergraduate study. I was always sure that I would move on to a master’s degree once I finished my bachelor’s. Continuing to study at Concordia also allowed me to play one more year on the University soccer team, which is a nice perk for me.
How can this type of project benefit the athletic therapy community?
D: As I mentioned before, current research shows that several injury-prevention programs have helped reduce the number of injuries in athletes. If our hypothesis is correct, and trainers know about the programs but don’t use them, we will be trying to identify the barriers that have prevented these initiatives from being adopted. I truly believe that it is in the best interest of sports organizations to implement these kinds of programs for the well-being of the athletes on their teams. If we can identify the barriers, we can adopt the solutions to overcome them, and help athletes practice their sports in the safest, most optimal manner. I strongly encourage all athletic therapists to get informed about injury prevention programs if they haven’t already done so. We need to absorb this information and apply it to the best of our ability. Staying informed is the most effective way of ensuring that athletic therapists are practicing their profession adequately. As health professionals, we always need to be looking to offer our patients the best, and the key to progress is research.
We would like to thank Dr. DeMont and Frédérique Labelle for their time. These initiatives are important to our community and we wish them all the success they deserve with their project.
You can also contribute to this project by recruiting trainers from your teams who wish to participate in the study. You can contact Dr. DeMont directly for more information.
Eric Grenier-Denis, B. Sc. CAT (C)
Executive Director
