Mobile Sports Medicine Unit
The Mobile Sports Medicine Unit (MSMU) of the Sports Excellence Center, which operates under the scientific supervision of the 1st Orthopedic Department of the Medical School of the Hellenic and Kapodistrian Athens University (EKPA), with an exclusive donation from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, enables 6-18 years old children and athletes from remote areas to take part in ergometric assessments.
Through organized play and fun exercises, children have the opportunity to play, have fun, interact with technological equipment and at the same time be evaluated by exercise scientists and nutritionists, who will offer them personalized counseling guidance, based on the interpretation of their results. The whole assessment process has a playful form and its main feature is the children’s fun. Among other things, the measurements concern the child’s strength, speed, reaction time and body composition, characteristics that play an important role in their smooth development. The results of the measurements are based on fitness standards and each child has an individual, personalized profile that gives information about their special characteristics. The Physical Education Teachers give directions based on the international bibliography and guidance to children and parents in order to improve their physical condition and their general health.
The purpose of the program is to bring students into contact with movement and health through multi-faceted movement training, assessment with field and laboratory tests and the recording of body composition indicators.
The game usually starts at stations with the children divided into small groups to perform games and exercises indicated by the Physical Education Teacher. Students are introduced to the correct execution of basic movements and positions of the body, with educational means the basic kinetic and competitive characteristics of Olympic sports.
Throughout the activity, students are informed about healthy eating and the importance of exercise both for health and for maintaining the predicted body weight.
Finally, with the creation of the personal “Athlete Monitoring” electronic file, a channel of communication is launched between the child, the parent and the scientific team, which is an important advisory guidance and support tool for the sports guidance counselor.
