Programs to reduce youth soccer injuries
Preventive intervention programs can reduce the incidence of soccer injury, reports a new study conducted by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association Medical Assessment and Research Center (F-MARC). The impact of these programs is particularly significant in low skill level youth teams.
With approximately 200,000 professional and 240 million amateur players, soccer is often considered to be the most popular sport in the world. In Australia the figure for registered players is approximately 270,000.
Most soccer injuries are caused by trauma and predominantly affect the ankle and knee, as well as the muscles of the thigh and calf.
In a study published in the September-October 2002 issue of The American Journal of Sports Medicine (AJSM), two groups of seven soccer teams each were followed for one year. Both groups, which were chosen from Zurich, Switzerland, and Basel, Switzerland, consisted of male amateur players (ages 14-19 years) from three high skill level and four low skill level youth amateur teams. One group participated in an injury prevention program, while the control group was instructed to train and play soccer as usual.
Baseline examination included clinical examination of the spine, hip, knee, and ankle; a soccer test of flexibility, speed, strength, and endurance; and a self-administered questionnaire concerning medical history, psychological characteristics, and aspects of training and playing soccer.
The prevention program included improvement of warm-up, regular cooldown, taping of unstable ankles, adequate rehabilitation, and promotion of the spirit of fair play. The program also included F-MARC Bricks – exercises designed to improve ankle and knee stability, trunk, hip, and leg muscle flexibility and strength, and coordination, reaction time, and endurance.
The coaches took part in courses, practical demonstrations, and individual consultations. Players were informed of their baseline examination results and were instructed on how to improve upon individual weaknesses.
During the study period, the 93 players of the control group reported the equivalent of 1.2 injuries per player per year. The 101 players of the intervention group reported only 0.8 injuries per player per year, which was considered to be significantly fewer. The difference was even greater between low skill level teams: in the control group, there were 11.1 reported injuries per 1,000 hours of exposure in the control group, and only 6.95 injuries reported by the intervention group.
The study concludes that soccer injuries can be prevented only in part by interventions focused on players and coaches. Education regarding injury-prevention strategies should be part of their regular training.
