Sports Reaction Center Gets Assist in Old Puget Sound Beach’s Run to Rugby Championship Game

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Miles Craigwell of Seattle’s Old Puget Sound Beach

We added the “Bumps & Bruises” program for the Beach players in the second year which involves the team coming to our clinic on Monday nights after their weekend game to have injuries analyzed and treated, and concussion tests conducted

Bellevue, Wash. (PRWEB) June 19, 2012

With a healthy assist from Sports Reaction Center (SRC) physical therapists, Seattle's Old Puget Sound Beach reached the Rugby Super League championship game, where it was edged by the New York Athletic Club, 32-29, last Saturday. This marked the third consecutive year that SRC has offered support to Old Puget Sound Beach, helping the team’s players remain on the field.

One of the nation’s most competitive rugby clubs, Old Puget Sound Beach has captured five National Rugby Sevens Titles and has brought world-class rugby to the Pacific Northwest. Several players represent the USA as Eagles. SRC provides trainers for practices and games, and the clinic has also implemented treatment programs to help the players recover faster.

Founded by Neil Chasan and featuring more than 500 local athletes as clients, SRC performs sports physical therapy services that incorporate innovative technology like OptoJump and NASA-developed Alter-G and offers services like concussion management and biomechanical assessment as well. That expertise has proven valuable to Old Puget Sound Beach along with the Seattle Rugby Club, and the Eastside Lions (a youth rugby team), especially considering the full contact nature of rugby and the sport’s extreme physical demands.

“During our first year with Old Puget Sound Beach, I would arrive at the start of each practice and treat players who were injured in the clinic. I also traveled with the team and was on the sideline of every game,” Chasan said. “That is when we introduced basic concussion testing and management to improve player safety.”

Old Puget Sound Beach made it to the semi-finals in the 15’s, losing a close game against the New York Athletic Club (NYAC) in NYC, and Old Puget Sound Beach won the national 7’s championship that season in San Francisco. SRC played an instrumental role in both competitions. SRC expanded its role in local rugby the next year, adding Seattle Rugby Club games in the fall and adding coverage for the Eastside Lions Youth Rugby Club in the spring.

”We added the “Bumps & Bruises” program for the Beach players in the second year which involves the team coming to our clinic on Monday nights after their weekend game to have injuries analyzed and treated, and concussion tests conducted,” Chasan said. “This has proven to be a useful opportunity for the coaches too, who offer the team a video coaching session at the same time.”

Old Puget Sound Beach lost in the national semifinals the next season, but with the general success on the field and the reputation of the team’s medical coverage, word spread about the team, making it easier to recruit players. Recognizing the contribution that SRC makes to the success of the organization, when the club’s Board of Directors formed an ownership group last year, SRC was invited to participate.

The depth of SRC’s services for Old Puget Sound Beach players is more extensive now than it was in the first year with the team. The clinic has created a sophisticated pre-season baseline screening that is mandatory for all registered players, gathering their concussion baselines and addressing any outstanding injuries. SRC also provides full practice coverage along with pre-season game coverage, and the Bumps and Bruises program runs informally throughout the fall season.

During the spring, the Bumps and Bruises clinic accelerates into complete mode and SRC continues to serve Old Puget Sound Beach practices and games as well as the Seattle Rugby Club in the fall and spring, and the Eastside Lions in the spring.

“Rugby is a physically demanding sport, and it is crucial that players not only have proper treatment to help them remain on the field or get back on the field, but it is also important that concussions are effectively identified so we know when they should be off the field,” Chasan explained. “We take great care to ensure the safety of the players in our management of their concussions”.

SRC works with competitive athletes every day from contact sports like rugby, soccer, football, lacrosse and basketball to endurance sports like cross country, triathlons and marathons. This makes the clinic uniquely qualified to help athletes manage their training during the recovery period, and SRC is committed to remaining a key part of Old Puget Sound Beach’s championship quests season after season.

About Sports Reaction Center
Based in Bellevue, Washington and attracting athletes of all levels from the Bellevue, Seattle, Kirkland and Redmond areas – and around the United States – Sports Reaction Center(SRC) was founded by Neil Chasan in 1997. SRC performs sports physical therapy services that incorporate innovative technology like Dynavision, OptoJump and NASA-developed Alter-G as well as concussion management and biomechanics. SRC’s clients also include multiple athletes who have qualified for the Olympic Trials in Track and Field as well as marathoner Mike Sayenko, Olympic hurdler Virginia Powell, and NFL, NBA and MLB players. The clinic also works with area organizations like Club Northwest, VO2 Multisports and the Seattle Rugby Club. A graduate of the University of Washington’s physical therapy program in 1982, Chasan is a consultant to the U.S. Olympic Training Center and U.S. Rugby Sports Medicine, the author of the book “Total Conditioning for Golfers,” and the creator of the video “The Swing Reaction System”, Neil published Pain Free Back, an iPhone application. A clinical faculty member of the University of Washington’s physical therapy program since 1990, Chasan teaches and consults with physical therapists around the world.

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