Derek M. Hansen - November / December 2025 

Introduction

At a time when the best defence against complexity seems to involve some sort of technological fix, I am constantly searching for simpler ways to solve problems.  It can be argued that compared to 30 years ago, life is much easier to navigate.  We do not need to know how to read paper maps prior to a vacation or develop a sense of direction.  We have GPS satellite navigation technology in our cars, phones, watches and smart glasses.  Most evaluations by your physician can involve a simple collection of blood and urine – and possibly a swipe of stool – to determine your health status without having to submit to a digital rectal exam or colonoscopy, as exuberant an experience those manual tests can be.  And, writing an article or email can be expedited and improved through the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), even though your output may seem a little generic and sterile.

As I get older, digital solutions seem boring and p...

Derek M. Hansen - November 2025

Introduction

Even though I started my career in the sport performance field, working in Strength and Conditioning and focusing on speed development, the majority of my major projects in the last ten years have focused on injury management.  Teams are finding that the biggest challenge in modern sports is staying healthy and ensuring players are available to make an impact in games.  With all the so-called advancements in training, equipment, nutrition and rehabilitation, we still find ourselves at a precipice where the prospects of a team can be thrown into turmoil with a handful of serious injuries to key players at the wrong time.

As such, team staff are scrambling – at all levels including professional, collegiate, national team and high school – to maintain a healthy lineup throughout the season.  While there are new technologies and methods for treating injuries, these innovations have not necessarily contributed to a reduction in the incidence o...

Derek M. Hansen - September 2023

This past summer I have spent more time going back to my roots and watching the sport of Track and Field, also referred to ‘Athletics’ outside of North America.  All of my kids are still competing in the sport and I still have lots of friends coaching at all levels.  It was enjoyable to watch a sport where individual performances and results based on quantifiable times, distances and heights determined success and gratification.  Of course it is always nice to win and take home a medal.  However, achieving a measurable improvement in your discipline can still be rewarding and worth the thousands of hours of time and effort.

When you have had the chance to work with a multitude of sports over the years, it is both easy and embarrassing to try to take credit for the success of a team.  The aggravating reality of the situation is that there are so many factors that go into achieving a championship season.  Rarely is one person the source of the achiev...

Derek M. Hansen - August-September 2023

Fear-mongering is one of the best ways to get people’s attention these days.  It’s being used effectively by all groups – most notably, politicians, economists and virologists – so why not take full advantage of this phenomenon when advising strength and conditioning coaches, fitness experts and rehabilitation professionals.  Calling something a ‘disorder’ is also a good way to formalize and articulate a problem in society.  So now that I’ve got your attention, let’s get down to business.

I’m going to come out and say it right now.  I believe there are far too many exercises out there, and it is creating a problem for both athletes and the general population.  Injuries are continuing to rise at unacceptable rates in both of these groups, and it is debatable if any  performance improvements we are seeing are the result of savvy exercise programming versus general technological advances.  What is absolutely clear to me is that people love new ...