Return to Sport Tests: Are you adding load and/or speed to your testing battery?

Here is a video demonstration of return to sport testing for rate of force development.  Too often we use body weight tests as our ONLY return to sport tests (single leg hop, step downs, drop jumps, etc) but we must remember to add load to critically measure how athletes are moving. Athletes will absorb contact and change speeds throughout their sports so we must account for this in our testing. 

Don't just take my word for it though.  Studies have shown alterations and adaptations in movement when load and speed have been applied to movements:  Mcgill S et al. The influence of load and speed on individuals’ movement behavior. Journal of Strength & Conditioning. October 2013.  

For more on functional testing and return to sport criteria go 
to: http://www.thesportsperformancept.com/functional-tests.html