Sports Performance

The experts at UPMC Sports Performance provide individuals with the tools and techniques to achieve peak performance in life’s activities. We strive for efficiency of human movement through the enhancement of functional movement, and correction of imbalances in sports and life.

The UPMC Sports Performance program believes that by doing an in-depth functional movement assessment (FMA), we can help identify what is keeping athletes from reaching their individual peak performance. The information gained from the FMA is used to create a safe, scientifically-based and properly periodized strength and conditioning program designed to fit each individual’s needs.

Our program consists of exercises to:

• Improve flexibility
• Increase strength
• Improve power output
• Decrease ground contact time
• Increase speed/agility
• Increase core strength
• Prevent injuries

Program Services

From evaluation to group or individual training, UPMC Sports Performance has the right program or service to help both individuals and teams reach top performance. Our services include:

Evaluation

• Functional movement assessment, which consists of an assessment of flexibility and strength, an evaluation of core strength, and a biomechanical analysis
• Gait assessment
• VO2 max estimation using a state of the art computerized program
• Body analysis which uses photographs to provide individuals with an accurate exercise prescription
• Sport-specific video analysis to analyze the movement patterns of individual's sport
• Body fat analysis

Fitness

UPMC Sports Performance can help individuals reach their fitness goals. Our goal is to help make tasks more manageable by increasing functional capacity.

• One-on-one or group sports performance training and conditioning: UPMC Sports Performance will help individuals reach their athletic goals by placing them in a sound, scientifically-based program designed to achieve decreased ground reaction time, increase strength, increase the rate of force production, and improve flexibility and core strength.
• Team training: Our experts can develop a team training program to help teams reach their goals for the upcoming season. We can help with pre-season conditioning, in-season conditioning and strength training, and off-season training and conditioning. Our programs are custom built to meet teams' needs.
• Combine Training: UPMC Sports Performance will train athletes for any professional combine or pre-draft camp. Our qualified professionals will help athletes be on top of their game when it matters most.
• ACL Prevention Program: UPMC Sports Performance offers a dynamic ACL prevention program endorsed by many top physicians in the area. The program starts with an initial screening to help identify predisposing imbalances that place an athlete at risk for injury. The goal of our program is to return the athlete to a higher level of performance than prior to injury. The specific areas include lower extremity strength and power, core strength, flexibility, landing techniques, and balance. We suggest two to three days of training per week for a minimum of 6 weeks with a preference of eight weeks. Initial screening is $60 and each training session is $25/session. We service athletes that have yet to have suffered an injury, athletes that are at least four months out of surgery, prepubescent athletes that have ruptured their ACL but are too young to have surgery, and adults who have elected not to have surgery. We also provide prevention screenings and training to teams.
• Sports-specific camps: UPMC Sports Performance offers yearly camps focusing on individual sports. We focus on teaching athletes how to get ready for their upcoming season. Visit our calendar of events for more information on upcoming camps and clinics.

This program is neither affiliated with nor obtained programming associated with the University of Pittsburgh's Neuromuscular Research Laboratory research, Office of Naval Research/NSW Award #N00014-07-1190.

Continuing education

• Functional training and injury prevention for physical education (PE) is designed for physical education professionals, teaching how to implement sports performance, injury prevention, and functional training into their PE classes.
• Education courses for coaches that teaches exercise techniques and exercise selections to help implement an off-season, pre-season, and in-season strength and conditioning programs into practices and conditioning sessions. This program also provides advanced flexibility and injury prevention techniques for coaches to incorporate into practices.