Introducing Kurt Andrews, MAT, LAT, ATC - Director of Sports Medicine at Sporting KC & Joey Harty, CSCS - Director of Sports Performance and Sport Science at Sporting KC
Tell us a bit about yourself and your role at Sporting KC?
JH: Growing up I always had a love for soccer and a passion for training to find ways to maximize my potential. I went to Grand Canyon University to play soccer and study Exercise Science. While there, I had a strength and conditioning coach who ignited my passion to follow a similar career path. I stayed at GCU after undergrad working as a graduate assistant with men’s and women’s soccer. Shortly after I began working at GCU, I transitioned to working in professional soccer starting with second division team, Phoenix Rising. Currently, I oversee all aspects of physical development from our academy to first team at Sporting KC.
KA: Growing up I always wanted to be an athlete. The unfortunate reality of being nothing more than above average at sports meant that being a professional athlete was not in my future plans. Going into university I was always interested in science and I knew that I wanted to work with people in the athletic setting. I stumbled upon a profession that married the world of sports and medicine and never looked back. I was incredibly fortunate to have mentors in my undergraduate program that stimulated my interest and passion for this profession. I ended up getting a degree from Oakland University in Exercise Science and then attended graduate school at the University of Arkansas where I received a Master’s in Athletic Training. Fast forward to current day, I am the Director of Sports Medicine for Sporting KC where I oversee a staff the manages the daily healthcare of the athletes (Academy to 1st team) within the club.
What are the most common injuries you tend to see?
The most common injuries seen in soccer are soft tissue strains to the thigh (hamstring, adductor and quad) and lower leg (gastric and soleus) musculature AND ligamentous sprains of the knee and ankle.
How has KT360 been integrated into your existing testing and training programming?
The KT360 has been an incredibly useful tool for our club in both the medical and performance departments. It is heavily utilized in the screening of our athletes but more precisely used in the rehab setting when athletes are returning from short- and long-term soft tissue injuries or anything post-surgical.
Which protocols on the KT360 have you utilized and how does this data help?
Our go to KT360 protocols are the hip adduction (hip in 60 degrees of flexion and neutral long lever), side lying hip abduction, hip extension, hip flexion (long lever), knee flexion (hip in 30 degrees of flexion) and knee extension. This battery of tests allows us to investigate the overall strength of the muscles that originate from the hip allowing us to provide interventions for significant asymmetries or overall deficits.
What have you been able to improve and/or achieve since partnering with KangaTech and using KT360?
We have been able to become more objective with our criterion based RTP which has allowed us to evolve our processes and methodologies internally. We have also been able to identify “possible” problem areas that could lead to a future injury. By having the KT360 on our side, we can make more informed decisions and be confident in the individual programs that we prescribe.
What were the key drivers for you taking on KT360?
To provide us with objective data that we can utilize in both the screening process and RTP setting with athletes at all levels of participation.
What are your go to resources for relevant industry events, research and inspiration?
Twitter and LinkedIn provide great content based on the individuals that you follow. Another resource I like to use is a general Google search, it can take you down some interesting rabbit holes.
What is your focus for the coming season at Sporting KC?
Aside from winning trophies, the biggest focus is always continual professional growth both personally and as a collaborative staff. We want our processes to continually adapt to our environment and provide a program that allows our athletes to be the best version of themselves.
High Performance Summit
Sporting KC will be hosting its inaugural ‘High Performance Summit’ From November 11th-13th, 2022. Join industry leaders as they share best practices and latest methodologies in planning and periodization, testing and monitoring, performance enhancement, recovery, nutrition, and return to sport.
Find out more about the High Performance Summit Here