Service and Community

Community Education

Peer Fitness Training Workshops

Peer fitness workshops are held annually throughout the state. This annual training provides fitness training leaders in law enforcement and fire service with tools to improve their department’s wellness program. One of these workshops was held at Georgia Southern in 2021, and it will be held there again in 2023. Faculty and students present on a variety of topics, from performing proper warm-ups to mindfulness interventions.

Peer fitness workshops are held annually throughout the state. This annual training provides fitness training to leaders in law enforcement and fire service.

For more information contact Bridget Melton, Ed.D., at bmelton@georgiasouthern.edu.

Soldier Athlete Human Performance Optimization (SAHPO) Program

The SAHPO Program is designed to prevent and reduce injuries in soldiers. Through a train-the-trainer model, Doctor of Physical Therapy students provide education to select soldiers who then take the information back to their units. Data has shown a significant decrease in the number of injuries to soldiers enrolled in the program.

Program Benefits

In addition to soldiers participating in the program receiving university credit toward a Tactical Athlete Certificate, the program provides the following benefits:

• Aims to decrease soldier evacuation due to musculoskeletal disorders, which account for 25 percent of all military injuries.
• Allows the State of Georgia to take an innovative stance on improving force readiness.
• Enhances ties between the local communities and the Army.
• Creates opportunities for students to gain experience working with tactical athletes/local military by understanding the unique demands of armored brigade compact teams.

For more information contact Nancy Henderson, PT, Ph.D., DPT at
nhenderson@georgiasouthern.edu.

In the News

Georgia Southern University has partnered with Fort Stewart and Georgia National Guard to provide soldier injury prevention training through the University’s Soldier Athlete Human Performance Optimization Program. Read full story.

Service Projects

Integrated Wellness Programming

“Georgia Southern’s Tactical Athlete program has been a long-standing partnership and has been a critical part of our integrated wellness program; we can directly see the positive health impacts on our firefighters.” – Cheif Gram, Statesboro Fire Department

Friday Fire Fitness

Each Friday, a Georgia Southern graduate assistant leads shift training to improve fitness, movement quality and increase team cohesion of the entire shift of firefighters.

Movement Breaks for Dispatch

Dispatchers are often the forgotten personnel in our first responder system.  These individuals who answer 911 calls need to remain calm and collected in helping the community get emergency assistance when needed. Working in this high-stress environment can lead to physical and mental burnout, so we offer biweekly movement breaks to educate and teach corrective exercises to help alleviate the physical pains of the job and promote mental well-being.

Cardio Wednesday/Mobility Thursday

Each week, a Georgia Southern graduate student leads a cardio workout and a mobility circuit with firefighters to improve cardiovascular and musculoskeletal health. These are quick workouts that the firefighters are encouraged to perform throughout the week to improve physical well-being.

Police and Fire Recruit Academy Consultations

Couch to Academy Readiness Programming

This 8-week program prepares individuals who are looking to get into physical shape for the police academy. It is designed to be performed from home with little to no equipment to ensure accessibility for everyone, but weights can be used to progress the movements if they are available.

Resources

• Couch to Academy Program Documents

Training for Fire Recruits

This is a four-week supervised training that lasts five days a week. There are limited seats available at a time.

Law Enforcement Team Training

Law Enforcement Team Training happens in biweekly session and promotes movement quality and movement preparation in order to prevent on the job injuries while increasing officer strength and endurance.

Health and Human Performance Testing

The TAI team offers department health and fitness assessment either on-site in our state-of-the-art laboratories on the Statesboro Campus or on location.  We work with the agency’s leadership to tailor the department assessment to reach the organization’s wellness goal. 

“The Tactical Athlete program has helped us to jump-start our officer’s wellness programming. We hired one of the recent graduates to help us continue this journey.” – Lt Robert Haegerty, Forsyth County Sheriff Department