Collaboration nation: building bridges not barriers for a stronger future

Abstract

‘Individual commitment to a group effort—that’s what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilisation work’. The American coaching icon Vince Lombardi once made this statement that stretches beyond sporting boundaries. Anyone working as part of a support team with individuals in performing arts or sports would recognise that there is great value to colleagues working together, sharing their resources and knowledge for an established objective. The nurturing of relationships and the capacity to connect with other stakeholders in our environments are fundamental to success in high performance and quality injury management.1 By collaborating with others, professionals operating in sports and performing arts can pool their knowledge, skills and resources to achieve goals that exceed the abilities of any one person.2 A comprehensive view of organisational goals and functions considering all stakeholders’ needs benefits the athlete or performer at the centre of any rehabilitative, preventative or performance programme.3 The principles and context of collaboration are themes contained within several of the papers in this special Association …