| Soccer is a growing sport among the youth in | | | | (jump) training to teach proper landing form |
| our country today. Notably, more female | | | | and develop power.5. Incorporate dynamic |
| athletes are choosing to play soccer. With | | | | balance training to teach body control and |
| this added participation, it is inevitable | | | | reduce ankle sprains and knee |
| that more injuries will occur. Many of these | | | | injuries.6. Take planned periodic rests from |
| injuries are linked to physical training and | | | | practice and play to avoid |
| conditioning.The most common injuries in | | | | overtraining.7. Perform routine agility and |
| soccer typically involve the ankle, knee and | | | | quickness drills to improve footwork and |
| hip region. Such injuries include ankle | | | | cutting ability. Many ACL injuries occur |
| sprains, knee ligament sprains, meniscus | | | | with non-contact cutting movements and it is |
| tears, and muscular strains (hip and groin). | | | | critical for athletes to cut on a bent knee |
| ACL injuries are now reaching epidemic | | | | and be able to control their momentum during |
| proportions, especially in the female soccer | | | | change of direction.8. Perform a dynamic |
| athlete.Research has indicated that proper | | | | warm-up prior to practice and games that |
| training programs can and do reduce ACL | | | | effectively simulates sport specific |
| injuries and will help prevent other sports | | | | movement. These activities will better |
| related injuries. Much of the research has | | | | prepare the body for the demands placed upon |
| indicated that strengthening, jump landing | | | | it during competition. This can be further |
| technique and agility training affect the | | | | broken down into general and specific |
| risk for this type of injury. The following | | | | functional warm-ups.9. Perform yearly |
| list will outline how to effectively reduce | | | | pre-season physical screening evaluations |
| common soccer injuries.1. Perform a | | | | with an athletic trainer or physical |
| periodized year round strength training | | | | therapist to assess any musculoskeletal areas |
| program with special emphasis on balancing | | | | of weakness.10. Perform pre-season, in-season |
| the muscles of the leg and targeting the core | | | | and post-season fitness testing to assess |
| muscles (low back, abdominals and | | | | training methods, performance and |
| hip).2. Understand the energy systems | | | | conditioning. This protocol will allow the |
| utilized in soccer and train them according | | | | coaches to adjust training volume, intensity |
| to performance demands. This involves the | | | | and modalities to ensure that their athletes |
| proper blend of training aerobic endurance | | | | are peaking at the right time and not |
| and anaerobic power to ensure explosive | | | | training improperly.All of these suggestions |
| performance over the entire | | | | are important in developing complete athletes |
| | | | and preventing common injuries. They will |
| course of a match. Fatigue late in the | | | | not prevent all soccer injuries, however, |
| match can lead to injury.3. Perform routine | | | | they will greatly reduce the risk potential |
| stretching to prevent muscular imbalance and | | | | and enhance athletic performance. The |
| tightness. This refers to static stretching | | | | ultimate key to injury prevention is |
| that should be done after a suitable warm-up | | | | understanding the sport of soccer and |
| or at the end of practice.4. Perform | | | | developing a program designed to address its |
| supervised, carefully planned plyometric | | | | demands on the body. |