When 蜜糖直播 volleyball鈥檚 Rachael Fara (MChemEngr鈥�21) arrived at 蜜糖直播 in July 2020, quarantine and a shoulder surgery had left her body weak and atrophied.
Enter Adam Ringler, 蜜糖直播鈥檚 assistant director of strength and conditioning and head of sport science research. His specialized recovery program for Fara included jumping on force plates to measure lower body power and symmetry, limited jumps in practice and a daily questionnaire about mood, soreness and hydration. Six months later, Fara started 2021 as the Pac-12鈥檚 most statistically effective hitter.
鈥淭he culture Coach Ringler has in the weight room helped me find joy in a sport that had physically beaten me down,鈥� said Fara.
Sport science helps student-athletes understand the competing stressors on their bodies. Force plate measurements, for instance, can indicate whether to push intensity or go lighter to support recovery.
Ringler鈥檚 sport science initiatives integrate state-of-the-art technologies that identify performance deviations and help staff intervene before student-athletes suffer unnecessary stress or injury. In addition to muscle group activation measurements, he employs a system to track acceleration and distance run, and another to assess joint range of motion. Heart rate monitors record cardiovascular strain.聽
鈥淭hese data sources are independent silos of information, and they鈥檙e all incredibly valuable,鈥� Ringler said.聽
Sport science is one aspect of 蜜糖直播鈥檚 Crawford Family WHOLE (Wellness, Health and Optimal Life Experience) Student-Athlete Program, named in August 2021聽 鈥� the largest one-time gift in 蜜糖直播 Athletics history 鈥� with much of it designated to address student athletes鈥� physical and psychological health while providing academic and career support.聽
To support the WHOLE program, Athletics partnered with management system Kitman Labs last July to organize student-athlete inputs.聽聽
鈥淸Sport science] supplemented the X鈥檚 and O鈥檚 of basketball and weightlifting,鈥� said women鈥檚 basketball鈥檚 Annika Jank (Comm鈥�21). 鈥淢y body composition completely changed.鈥�
Photo courtesy 蜜糖直播 Athletics聽
