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Student Athlete Experience

What You Do, What You Learn, and Why It Matters -- BASIS Independent Brooklyn
better athlete(TM) | Confidential -- Prepared for BASIS Independent Brooklyn
1

The Combine

20 minutes, with your teammates, at the start of your season

At the start of your season, you will do a 20-minute movement screening with your teammates. You will hop, squat, jump, balance, and cut -- the same movements you do in practice and games. No needles, no doctors, no weird stuff. It is basically an athletic assessment, and most athletes say it is actually pretty fun.

Single Leg Squat

Squat on one leg. Shows how your hip and knee work together. Takes about 30 seconds per leg.

Tuck Jump

Jump and tuck your knees. We watch how you land. Tells us a lot about how your body handles impact.

Landing Assessment

Jump off a box and stick the landing. We look at knee position, hip angle, and trunk control. Quick and straightforward.

Balance Reach

Stand on one leg and reach in three directions. Measures your stability and how even your left and right sides are.

Single Leg Hop

Hop as far as you can on one leg, then the other. We compare the distance. Big differences between sides can flag risk.

Direction Change

Sprint, plant, and cut. We watch how you slow down and change direction -- the movement where most ACL injuries happen.

2

Your Results

A score, a color, and what it actually means

After the combine, you get a score and a color tier. GREEN means you are moving well. YELLOW or ORANGE means one or two things could use some work -- totally normal and very common. RED or CRITICAL means something needs attention from a professional. Most athletes land in GREEN or YELLOW.

Your Movement Quality Report
78
out of 100
GREEN -- Moving Well
Your movement patterns look strong. You will follow the standard team warm-up protocol. Keep doing what you are doing.

Your score is not a grade. It is not about how fast or strong you are. It is about how well your body handles the movements that cause injuries -- landing, cutting, decelerating. A high score means your body manages those forces well. A lower score means specific exercises can help you improve.

3

Your Warm-Up

12-15 minutes of exercises proven to prevent injuries

Every practice starts with a 12-15 minute warm-up. This is not stretching-and-talking. These are exercises proven by research to prevent ACL tears, ankle sprains, and muscle strains. The same programs are used by professional soccer leagues, the NCAA, and Olympic teams worldwide.

If you are in YELLOW or ORANGE, you get a few extra exercises at the end that target your specific area. Everyone else heads to practice while you spend 3-5 more minutes finishing up. That is the only difference.

1
Running Progressions
Jogging, high knees, hip openers -- getting your body ready to move fast
2
Partner Stability
Shoulder contact while balancing -- teaches your body to absorb force
3
Nordic Hamstring
The single best exercise for preventing hamstring injuries. Not easy, but worth it.
4
Single Leg Balance
Stand on one leg, eyes closed. Harder than it sounds. Builds ankle and knee stability.
5
Lateral Band Walks
Side stepping with resistance. Wakes up the hip muscles that protect your knees.
6
Plyometric Jumps
Jump, land soft, repeat. Teaches your body to absorb force safely at speed.
7
Running Cuts
Sprint and cut at 50%, then 75%, then full speed. Preps your body for game movements.
4

Body Literacy

Understanding how you move -- and why it matters for every sport

You will learn how your body moves -- and why that matters. Understanding biomechanics helps you jump higher, cut faster, recover quicker, and stay healthy longer. This is knowledge you keep for life, not just for this season.

Jump Higher

Better landing mechanics mean you can train jumping more aggressively without breaking down.

Cut Faster

When your body decelerates efficiently, you can change direction at higher speeds with less risk.

Recover Quicker

Athletes with good movement quality experience less soreness and bounce back faster between sessions.

Stay Healthy Longer

The habits you build now -- warm-up discipline, body awareness, rest -- protect you for decades.

5

What Changes for You

Honestly? Not much.

Your practice does not change. Your games do not change. Your coach still runs everything. You just get a smarter warm-up that is designed for YOUR body, not a generic routine that treats everyone the same.

And you learn things about how you move that will help you in every sport you ever play. If you are a multi-sport athlete, the data carries across seasons -- so your winter sport coach already knows what your body needs before the first practice.

6

Tracking Progress

Before and after -- proof that the work works

At the end of the season, you get re-screened. Same assessments, same 20 minutes. Most athletes improve their scores because the warm-up exercises actually work. It is like a before-and-after for your movement quality.

You get to see exactly which areas improved and by how much. Athletes who stick with the warm-up protocol consistently tend to see the biggest gains. It is measurable progress -- not just a feeling.

7

What Your Friends at Other Schools Do Not Have

This is not standard. It is exceptional.

Most school athletic programs do not screen for injury risk at all. They wait until someone gets hurt, then react. Your school is doing the opposite -- finding risk before it becomes an injury. That is rare, and it matters.

The warm-up you will do every practice is the same type of program used by professional and Olympic athletes. The screening you receive is more comprehensive than what most college programs offer. Your school is taking your athletic development seriously -- and you get to benefit from it.

8

FAQ

Quick answers to what athletes actually ask

"Does this affect my playing time?"
Nope. Your coach makes all playing time decisions. This has nothing to do with who starts, who plays, or who sits. It is about keeping you healthy so you CAN play.
"Is this a medical exam?"
No. It is a movement screening. You hop, squat, jump, and balance. Nobody examines you medically. It does not replace your sports physical.
"What if I play multiple sports?"
Even better. Your data carries over between seasons. Your winter sport coach gets your fall screening results and can build on them. Multi-sport athletes benefit the most from this program.
"Can my parents see my results?"
Yes. Your parents receive a report card with your tier, scores, and warm-up protocol. They also get recommendations for supporting your athletic health at home.
"What if I do not want to do it?"
Talk to your athletic director. Participation policies are set by your school. But most athletes who go through the screening are glad they did -- it is quick, interesting, and you learn something about your own body.