By John Cone
For most, it is accepted that injury in sport is a part of the game; a result of bad luck and a risk an athlete knowingly takes on by playing.
In youthathletes, it is further accepted that growth-related pain is a natural part of the transition from youth to adolescence and on to adulthood, again a normal occurrence, with not much to be done. Theresult is we have an “overuse injury rate” in youth athletes that accounts for between 46% and 54% of all sports injuries[1].
This statistic that does not include non-contactinjuries (many of which are highly preventable, such as anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears[2]), or growth-related injury (again highly preventable, with the compounding stress of physical trainingand growth leading to an increased likelihood of growth-related problems[3]).
Although injuries in youth players occur at an alarming rate they are seldom questioned, but accepted as normal,and “traditional” training practices are continually embraced.
Reality is, and sports science supports it, the majority of non-contact, overuse, and growth-related injuries arepreventable. The good news is it is not so much science as it is logic, although it may push you out of your comfort zone.
In a series of up-coming articles, I will look to tackle some of themost common problems, misconceptions, and challenges that face the youth and adolescent athlete, parent, and coach.
The goal is simple, enable the players to continue to enjoy the game, stayhealthy, performing at a high level, and to achieve their personal goals through increasing awareness of sports science and its practical application to training youth athletes.
Look for John Cone’s article, “Consider the individual when planning practice,” in Thursday’s Youth Soccer Insider.
JohnCone has a Ph.D. in kinesiology, an M.S. in Exercise Physiology and extensive licenses and certifications, including his USSF A. Dr. Cone is a USSF national instructor delivering sports scienceeducation on coaching licenses from the F license to the A license, and youth-specific Academy Director course. He was formerly the Director of Sports Science with the Portland Timbers in the MLS, andan assistant coach with Sporting Kansas City (nés Wizards). Dr. Cone has worked at every level of the game from youth through professional as a coach, and as a sports scientist. Through hiscompany Fit for 90, Dr. Cone delivers sports science consulting, and player monitoring for performance, development, and injury prevention. Fit for90 clients include the U.S. women’s national team, numerous MLS, NASL, NWSL, collegiate, ECNL and USSDA teams. Fit for 90 is the officialplayer monitoring system of US Club Soccer and the ECNL.
1. DiFiori, J.P., et al.,
2. Shimokochi, Y. and S.J. Shultz, Mechanisms ofNoncontact Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury. Journal of Athletic Training, 2008. 43(4): p. 396-408.
3. van der Sluis, A., et al., Importance of Peak Height Velocity Timing in Terms of Injuries in Talented Soccer Players. Int J Sports Med, 2015. 36(4): p. 327-332.
Fully agree. Many studies are demonstrating the benefits of frequent monitoring of recovery and stress processes in preventing injuries. Web and mobile apps such as http://www.athletemonitoring.com make this monitoring accessible to teams of all levels.A short presentation on the role of sports science and athlete monitoring in preventing injuries, can be found at the top of this page:http://www.athletemonitoring.com/science/