The Jackson Clinics

Knee ligament injury rates are 2-10 times higher in female athletes than in male athletes. 

The majority of these injuries are non-contact, occurring in sports that involve pivoting, cutting or jumping. The ACL controls the pivoting and forward motion of the knee joint, along with the hamstrings muscles. If these muscles are not adequately prepared, jumping/twisting motions may create shear forces, which can tear the ACL. An ACL injury may sideline an athlete for 6-12 months.

What can I do to reduce the risk of serious knee injury?
Get screened for injury risks! Our Sports Injury Test evaluates strength, function, flexibility and body mechanics.

Get involved in a training program tailored to correct deficiencies noted in testing. Cincinnati SportsMedicine Research and Education Foundation’s research has shown that Sportsmetrics™ training not only increases muscular power and jump height, but also decreases impact forces at the knee.

What is Sportsmetrics™?
Created under the direction of internationally-renowned orthopaedic sports medicine surgeon, Frank R. Noyes, M.D., Sportsmetrics™ is the first and only training program scientifically proven to decrease knee injuries in female athletes. It is a six-week jump training program that meets three times per week on alternating days and is comprised of a dynamic warm-up, jump/plyometric drills, strength training and flexibility exercises.

Sportsmetrics™ has been proven to:

• Reduce the risk of serious knee injury
• Increase vertical jump height, up to 4 inches
• Improve hamstrings to quadriceps strength and symmetry in right-to-left leg power
• Improve landing mechanics and reduce side-to-side movements at the knee

Why is Sportsmetrics™ training so unique?
Sportsmetrics™ is NOT just another plyometric training program. The program is designed and structured to progress the athlete from technique development to performance enhancement.

• Every trainer has a degree in the physical therapy or athletic training field and is certified by Cincinnati SportsMedicine as a Certified Sportsmetrics™ trainer. Athletes are supervised throughout every session from the warm up to the concluding stretches. Student-to-trainer ratios are no higher than 6 to 1 so each athlete receives individualized recommendations and attention based upon the results of the Sports Injury Test.
• Each athlete has a training log to chart training progress and also receives the Sports InjuryTest Report both pre-training and post-training to see improvement.

Who is talking about Sportsmetrics™?
Since receiving the Excellence in Research award from the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine, Sportsmetrics™ and Cincinnati SportsMedicine have been featured in the Cincinnati Enquirer, Cincinnati Magazine, and The New York Times, and on ESPN, Wide World of Sports and Good Morning America.

Sportsmetrics™ Techniques and Training Sportsmetrics™
Techniques and Training is the foundation upon which sports specific skills are built. Training builds from technique development to performance enhancement. This six week program was scientifically proven to significantly reduce the risk of serious knee injuries in female athletes while improving hamstrings to quadriceps strength ratio and jumping height. It combines a dynamic warm up, plyometrics, strength training and flexibility.

Dynamic Warm-up: Prepares the body with functional based activities that use sport specific motions. It raises core body temperature, increases blood flow to the muscles and improves flexibility, balance and coordination.

Plyometrics/JumpTraining: Plyometrics, the core of the Sportsmetrics™ program, is used to focus on correct jumping technique and are divided into three two-week phases. Each phase has a different training focus and the exercises change accordingly. Plyometrics develops muscle control and strength that are critical for reducing the risk of knee injury and increasing jump height.

High Intensity Strength Training: With emphasis on body alignment and form, Sportsmetrics™ provides structured (yet adaptable) strength training guidance. This section focuses on development of core strength and improving overall muscular efficiency. This can be done with or without equipment or free weights.

Flexibility Training: Stretching is essential to achieve maximum muscle length, allowing muscles to work with power through complete range of motion. This is important for decreasing injury and post-training muscle soreness. Sportsmetrics™ can be taught by a certified Sportsmetrics™ instructor in a group or one-on-one at The Jackson Clinics, llc. It can also be done at home after learning the jumps from one of Fairfax County Schools athletic trainers.