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Goal-Oriented: Reducing injury risk in female athletes

This week, Kevin discusses training methods and approaches that can significantly reduce your daughter's risk of injury.

Each year the number of female athletes who are participating in high school sports appears to be growing. With sports like soccer, basketball, field hockey, crew, lacrosse, track and softball, athletes are now given the chance to play their sport almost year round.

For the past several years I have had the privilege of working with several female athletes and I think this trend towards females playing more sports is fantastic. However, one trend that I have seen with high school female athletes is the increase risk of injury. It's very common for me to speak to a parent and have them tell me that their daughter has suffered one of the following injuries:

  1. Torn ACL

  2. Multiple stress fractures

  3. Torn rotator cuff

  4. Plantar fasciitis

  5. Hip/low back pain

The list above is just some of the more common injuries that I see with females. The truth is there is no way to prevent an injury. Injuries are a part of the game. However, I do believe that if athletes are trained properly they can greatly reduce their chance of injury. If you are a parent of a female athlete one question that I think you should ask yourself is "What steps can I take in order to reduce the chance of injury for my daughter."

Here are a few suggestions on how I believe you can reduce injuries in sports.

Stop playing year round: I understand that this may frustrate some parents and coaches but high school athletes need an off-season. I know there is a desire to increase your skill as an athlete; however, if you play the same sport for 11-12 months a year with a short break your chances of developing soft tissue injuries as well as muscle imbalances increases dramatically.

I would recommend that 2-3 months out of each year females take a step back from their main sport and develop some new movement patterns. A question you have to ask yourself is if professional athletes have an off-season why don't high school athletes have an off-season?

Improve your nutrition: It's very rare that I work with a female athlete who is eating a well-balanced diet. Most females would benefit by simply adding more protein and fat to their meals as well as focusing on a quality post workout meal. A typical breakfast for a female athlete looks something like this: plain bagel & a glass of water or orange juice. A much better option would be the following: 2 eggs, banana and a glass of orange juice. Small changes in nutrition can have a dramatic effect on performance.

Learn how to decelerate: Most athletes have no problem running. Sure, some kids are much more efficient at running than others, however, one area that needs to be addressed when training females is teaching them how to stop and control their body. This takes time. However, athletes who are stable and understand where their body is in space (proprioception) are less likely to suffer an injury than those who are unstable.

Improve your overall strength: One thing that I tell all of the female athletes that I work with is if you want to reduce your chances of getting hurt improve your overall strength. Most high school females have never touched a weight in their life and they are intimated by the thought of lifting weights. I can respect this but if taught correctly this can be a game changer for female athletes.  An increase in strength will mean a more stable base of support which results in a more stable body. When a female athlete increases her strength so many positive things happen on the field or court. Here are just a few of the benefits:

  1. Increase in speed and power.

  2. Improvement in their posture.

  3. Increase in their confidence.

  4. Increase in their bone strength.

Note: The off-season that I mention above is the PERFECT time to implement a proper strength training program. You don't have to stop playing your sport completely in the offseason; just reduce the volume and implement strength training 2-3 times per week.

Here are a few exercise videos that if performed properly under the proper supervision can reduce the chance of injury. Please note that in each clip I show two exercises. The first exercise is the easier (regression) of the two. Please make sure that the first exercise is mastered before attempting the second exercise.

As an athlete, when you step on the field or court you can't worry about getting hurt. However, you can do something about reducing your chances of getting hurt. I think it's fantastic that female athletes are playing sports and doing things on the field /court that people never expected them to do. Just make sure that you have built a solid foundation and take a look at the big picture to see what areas you need to improve upon in order to stay on the field and play an entire season injury free.

Good luck!

Read more Sports Doc for Sports Medicine and Fitness.