WFATT2019

Title:

Lecture 1-A

Work in Japanese Educational Institutions as an Athletic Trainer/Therapist - Health and Sport Science for All -

 

Abstract:

Jigoro Kano, who was well known as a founder of judo, made great efforts to recognize the importance of physical education since because he believed that tough and healthy spirits were largely related to one’s physical fitness. The sports and physical education center in the University of Tsukuba has a philosophy of not only doing physical activity but also fostering wealthy and strong mind in university PE which carries over his spirit up until now. Also, it is important to understand our own physical fitness level in order to stay healthy. In Japan, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, has implemented the physical fitness test for Japanese national since 1964. Recently, injury prevention is recognized as a key for athletes to obtain high performance; athletes regularly conduct medical and physical checks. However, does this concept apply to only athletes? We as an athletic trainer/therapist can be expected to help preventing musculoskeletal disorders and improving physical conditions with safe for all. Work fields of an athletic trainer/therapist in Japan still need to be developed, and it could be considered important to expand our work fields at schools to improve our social recognition. This presentation will talk about the meaning of a university PE class in Japan and the possibility that an athletic trainer/therapist can contribute to school education from the key role in injury prevention.

 

 

Background：

Takashi Fukuda studied at the Mount Royal College in Canada after completing Master’s degree in Physical Education at the University of Tsukuba. He acquired CATA-CAT (C) as the first Japanese in 2001 and contributed to the Canadian team's victory at the Volleyball World Cup of the Disabled as a full-time athletic therapist of the Canadian Volleyball Association.  After returning to Japan, he worked as a researcher at the University of Tsukuba and a training instructor at the Japan Institute of Sports Sciences.  His research is mainly focused on athletes’ conditioning and concussion in American football.  Fukuda works with the Speed Skating National Team and many national-level athletes and assists many competitions.  He also helps collegiate-level athletes at the University Athletic Trainer Clinic.