Calling on experts in various areas of health and performance will ensure that swimmers receive the best support possible and we can all work comfortably, safely and ethically within our role, responsibilities, and scope of practice.
If swimmers are working with an external healthcare provider, it may be the case that some consultations will be bound by confidentiality, however it may be helpful to seek consent from a swimmer (and parent if under 18) to make contact with other professionals. In most cases the more transparency and information sharing, the better the outcome for the health and performance of the swimmer. Regular conversations with performance support practitioners can result in shared and aligned health and performance philosophies and minimise mixed or inconsistent messaging which may occur when people supporting a swimmer are working independently of one another.
Your influence is key in raising awareness of additional support from professionals who can foster optimal health and/or performance processes. Health and performance support professionals can not only provide individual consultation, but they can support at a broader level in club awareness and education on various topics. Engaging additional support may lead to earlier identification of risk factors impacting swimmer health and wellbeing.
Nutrition
Psychology
Wellbeing & Engagement
Physiology
Strength and Conditioning
Physiotherapy
If you are unable to locate support near your club/school, you can visit the following websites to locate practitioners in your area (the link titles indicate what you can type into a search engine, if ever the link changes before we know about it!):
