Blog
World Mental Health Day with Shona McCallin
World Mental Health Day is approaching, so we caught up with OPRO Ambassador and GB Hockey player Shona McCallin on her 2020 experience. Though she was meant to spend 2020 preparing for (and playing in!) the Olympics, Shona has adjusted her mindset and found a few things that have helped her get through the past 7 months.
Resilience By Shona McCallin
Shona McCallin has faced her fair share of setbacks and challenges. In this blog, Shona explains how she has developed her resilience and gives some tips on how to bounce back when things don't go your way.
The Dislocated Expectations of 2020
Catch up with GB Hockey's Harry Gibson and how Coronavirus has flipped his 2020 Olympic and personal plans upside down, but how training with "Dislocated Expectations" has helped him keep perspective through it all.
Are We Ready for Full Contact Rugby?
A post-COVID world is going to bring a lot of changes in how we play and watch sports. Learn how PROTECHT and OPRO+ are helping pro rugby players return to sport safely in this Guest Blog by a lead Performance Scientist at SWA.
Preparing for Life After Rugby
Professional athletes don't play forever. At OPRO we want to make sure we not only support our athletes when they're playing but also find ways to help when they hang up their boots. Through a partnership with the RPA, we had the chance to have Max Northcote-Green in the office with us. Click to read more about Max's day with us.
OPRO and Photocentric Join the Fight to Protect the NHS
We are immensely proud to be supporting the NHS and their heroic front line medical staff caring for COVID-19 patients. Find out more about how we are joining the cause to protect the NHS.
Can combat sports be therapeutic?
While combat sports do come with inherent risks, certain combat sports - like MMA and boxing - are targeted unfairly.
Ancient Egyptians, shinty, and Khido Khundi: Where did hockey come from?
Every game has variants and hockey is no different, able to entertain people in a variety of forms. But each different style of hockey requires different skills from the players, which is why the game is so interesting.
Top ideas to help your rugby team wind down at the end of the season
Getting to such a high level and becoming a harmonious team takes huge amounts of training, hard work, and discipline. But when the competition season is over, do they take a break or is it on to the next one?
How the discipline you learn in sport benefits your life
Ask any successful athlete what the key to their success is. You’re more than likely to hear the word ‘discipline’ come up at some point and for good reason.
How to protect yourself from dental injury in sports
While you can take precautions to minimise the risk of injury, the chances are if you take part, especially competitively and especially in contact sports, you’ll fall foul at some point. And, in many sports, there’s a high chance of injury to your head - including your mouth.
WWE or MMA? Where could high school wrestling take you?
When you think about wrestling, you might think about your next training session and other things related to this year’s high school wrestling season. But for many people across the world, when they hear wrestling, they think WWE.
Having fun versus winning: how do you approach sport?
Taking part in sport has a whole host of benefits. And everyone is drawn to sport for different reasons. If we were to ask everyone their reasons for playing, the answers would all be very different.
Top tips for preparing for your next big competition
If there’s a big game or competition around the corner, it’s easy to fall into a blind panic. The countdown is on and there’s so much you need to do in a limited amount of time.
USA rugby: how rugby sevens is taking America by storm
In the UK, if we want a contact sport which involves a ball, rugby’s the one for us. But in the US, it’s all about American football. Even if you don’t watch it, everyone’s heard of the Super Bowl, right? How about the USA Sevens tournament in Las Vegas?
What are the side effects of weight cutting in athletes?
If you’re not familiar with the world of combat sports, weight cutting is a common weight on bringing down your weight. Why? Well, many combat sports are organised by weight class, and to fit into the right one some people resort to what we call ‘weight cutting’.
Yes, even braces need mouthguard protection
Wrestling is not an easy sport. It’s full contact and you could get hurt as with any contact sport. That’s why wearing a mouthguard is so important. It keeps those pearly whites safe. But, if you’ve got braces, can you really fit a mouthguard too?
How to get a job in your favourite sport
For many, going pro is the dream. But sport is a competitive world and not everybody makes it to the top. And some people don’t want the stress or danger involved with being a professional athlete.
Five tips for steering your team to victory
All successful teams will have a natural-born leader within their roster. These are the players responsible for uniting the team, keeping morale high, and getting everyone ready for a big match.
Top tips for any high school wrestlers who want to succeed
It’s that time of year again. The high school wrestling season upon us, which means it’s your chance to improve on your performance from last year and perhaps become a champion.
Making the most out of your mouthguard
An athlete has a 10% chance of getting a mouth, face, or jaw injury every season they play. While this might seem like good odds to gamble on, one injury could go on to wipe you out for a whole season. So to reduce the risk of injury, you need to find the perfect mouthguard.
