In it for the Long Run: Talking with Bradley Pike

When you’re Head Athletic Trainer and Director of Rehabilitation Services for Syracuse University Athletics, the summer break isn’t all that relaxing, as Bradley Pike indicated during our phone interview from his office at Syracuse University. He spends the summer break rehabilitating athletes, helping them prepare for their upcoming seasons. Currently, he’s working with six of Syracause University’s basketball players and rehabilitating several other athletes from surgical procedures.

“I do everything, I think,” said Pike. “We have strength and conditioning, and we’re trying to preach the same positive lifestyle, proper nutrition, proper speed patterns, circadian rhythms, all that stuff.”

Beyond physical therapy and training, Pike works to promote long-term healthy habits in his student athletes. As his student athletes are also college students—and thus facing the same social media and late-night distractions as non-athletes—teaching those healthy habits are very important.

“Sleeping and nutrition would be the number one and two,” Pike said. “We’re trying to get them to establish a bedtime at night and getting up at the same time the next day to get that rhythm going.”

Given the energy of our discussion, Pike seems up to the task.

Interview Transcription 

JT: Are you on campus today?

BP: Today, yes. I have six basketball players here, so I work with them throughout the day. And if they have any problems I take care of that. And I also have two or three surgical rehabs from some of the other sports that I’m taking care of as well, and kind of just go through those, you know just finishing up most of those rehabs for the summer. Then they’ll be ready to go when school starts. So…kind of slowing down a little bit, then our basketball team’s going to be going to Canada in August so I’ll be speeding back up for that and then getting ready for the logistics for that trip as well, getting ready for the players and all that ‘cause we’re gonna practice a few days before we go so…getting ready for that!

JT: So do you focus primarily on rehabilitating injuries or do you also help promote long-term training schedules, nutrition, anything of that sort?

BP: I do everything, I think. We have strength, first of all, strength and conditioning, both were—trying to preach the same positive body—uh—positive lifestyle, proper nutrition, proper speed patterns, circadian rhythms, all that stuff. We’re trying to really work hard on trying to help those guys, if they know a lot, to support them. If they don’t know a lot we try to teach them. So, trying to teach them the value for all of those different things and how they can make you a better student as well as a better player. And then we get a little bit better idea…kind of answer the guys that are here a little bit really how much they know. Then we start having team meals together and then we can see—start seeing some of their eating habits and then we can kind of—try and change those if they need to be changed.

JT: What do you think the biggest realm where there’s not as much information that these students are processing—what are you educating them most on? What are they most unaware of?

BP: I would probably think...between sleeping and nutrition would be the number one and two. A lot of the kids—you know they’re college kids, they don’t sleep uh—a normal sleep pattern. Sleep during the day, stay out all night, and just—staying up, social media, whether they’re either in their rooms or out—you know they’re so late. And we’re trying to get them to establish a bedtime at night and getting up at the same time the next day to get that rhythm going. And just the nutrition. Just talking about—preaching fresh fruits and vegetables, trying to make that part of every meal and just kind of moving along with those.

JT: What is the most shocking sports injury you’ve had to help rehabilitate?

BP: Well we’ve had—back when I worked for football we had complex knee injuries, complex ankle fractures, those probably being the most difficult because those injuries are much more violent. On the basketball side we’ve had complete quad ruptures, we’ve had ACL tears and—all these guys are very competitive and I think the biggest part of that is they’re missing out on their sport for a little bit of the time and that’s the hardest part in dealing with those injuries. And a lot of the guys can actually get back—get back to full steam—it’s just the—the process of not being able to play is sometimes the issue.

JT: Of course, they certainly want to play. And they’ve been playing forever. Do you think that parents then, who might be concerned about enrolling their children in sports—are those valid concerns? Do the injuries you see—are those things you just have to take in consideration given all the benefits of playing sports?

BP: Oh, I think that definitely is something you have to think about. You shouldn’t keep them from playing. But I think one of the biggest problems I have with today’s day and ages is that kids get very specific in one sport too early, and they don’t even give themselves a chance to cross train. So you’re playing soccer all the time or lacrosse, or football, or basketball—you’re playing it all the time versus…when I was in school. You know you played football, you played basketball, you did track, you played lacrosse—you did different sports all the time. But a lot of kids are only playing one sport. You know, I have two high school kids at home and a lot of their friends are only playing one sport. And it’s just interesting how I think it’s good to get variety and not train too early too much for one sport that you can just—you know you can kind of get a little more specific when you get into college, obviously.

JT: So you’d say that cross training in sports helps your body and it helps your muscles sort of adapt to taking different sorts of impact?

BP: Oh, absolutely. I think it definitely—I think it makes them better players. It helps develop different types of reaction times. It helps develop different types of jumping—jumping you may do in football is totally different from basketball. I think it develops a more well-rounded athlete you know during that 7th through 12th year and then once you get to college you can obviously be specific so it would be very difficult if near impossible to be playing for many varsity sports in college.

JT: Absolutely. And do you—well so, when you’re talking to students who might be playing different sports—two or three different ones—and you yourself…with your position at Syracuse, you’re an adjunct professor, and you own your own physical therapy practice—how do you suggest balancing that healthy lifestyle with everything you have to do during the day?

BP: So how—how do I balance everything?

JT: Sure. And what sort of advice might you give?

BP: Well I definitely uh—you have to make a priority for yourself. That’s the biggest thing. It’s a priority for me to make sure I exercise. To make sure I eat properly. One of the things in the last couple of years is that I’ve really improved my diet significantly, and I see a huge improvement in my productivity. I also see if I get off that—that diet and I really see a decrease in those things and I don’t feel as well so—definitely eating a healthy diet is the way to go. And I really try to uh preach that to the players and how it’s kind’ve worked for me and it’ll really work for them because they’re younger, they’re better athletes than I am…definitely feel them up. Uh—but I think yeah, just like cross training, my variety during the day is—I can either be teaching, I can be in my clinic, I can be here. Since I’m in my clinic I’m most likely using—working around people of a different demographic than the college student, than those in the college area—working on—that type of college student or I’m teaching a college student. So it’s—I don’t know—a little bit of variety. Makes the day go fast.

JT: Absolutely. Well—Coach Pike, thank you very much. I appreciate it. I know it’s—like you said, a very busy time of year, trying to get these players back on the field or the court. I really loved listening to your insights so—I’m very grateful. Thank you so much.

BP: You got it. Anytime. Just give me a call.

JT: Thank you! Have a great day.

BP: Okay. Thank you! You too.




Interview can also be accessed here.