Lakers Feature Story Analysis

By Michael Chastain

http://www.nba.com/lakers/news/180225-lakers-training-staff

The story titled “A Look Inside the Lakers Training Staff” is written by Mike Trudell on NBA.com under the LakersNation channel. I learned about the inner workings of an NBA training staff and the year-round effort that goes into the operation. Six members make up the training staff which includes a head athletic trainer, assistant athletic trainer, director of strength and endurance, massage therapist, and a head physical therapist. The story features sections on each position with a summary describing their role with quotes from each member.

The story describes how many people associate athletic training with taping ankles, but the majority of the work is advanced sports science. Head trainer Marco Nunes details the recent addition of a full-time nutrition regiment and a hydration program. It was interesting that Gatorade tested each player with sweat analysis at the start of training camp and created individual hydration programs. The program seems to have success as Nunes explained that a player with migraine problems hasn’t had the issue since the implementation of the hydration program.

Gunnar Peterson, Director of Strength and Endurance, praised the players for their attendance at scheduled workouts with only three absences all year with every incident being excused. It was also interesting that the Lakers have a full-time massage therapist, Stacey Robinson, who focuses on working deep into the muscle tissue. Head Therapist, Jennifer Swanson, deals with the recovery of long-term and short-term injuries. I really think the writer did a fantastic job of detailing each position. The one thing they could have included would have been quotes from players explaining how these positions help them on and off the court. The article has good graphics of each member of the training staff but the addition of video clips would be a nice additional layer to the story.