Reducing Injuries

By Glenn Vergie

How can you prevent injuries from happening?

Who is most likely to get injured – while playing sports?

There are no clear cut answers to the above questions – but there are injury prevention strategies that can drastically reduce an athlete’s chances of acute / minor and overuse injuries.

Athletic injuries are unfortunately a part of sports. Based on recent statistics – almost 43% of adolescent boys and girls will have a minor or major injury…before they are 14!

Types of acute injuries will vary – but the most common are…

• Ligament sprains
• Muscle strains
• And bruises

However, overuse injuries are more common in adolescents than acute injuries.  Typically from overtraining – due to an athlete training and playing far more than their bodies can handle. Even with excellent nutritional and sleeping habits – most adolescent athletes should not be participating in structured training and games…that exceed 7.5 hours per week. This equals five sessions of 1.5 hours of training or games.

During the growth spurt, the skeleton must support increased weight and load.  As a result - there is increased risk for a severe injury in teens.  It is well known that the number of soccer injuries increase for teenagers as they grow in height and weight.  During growth and development – agility – power - speed and motor coordination improve.  Girls by age fourteen years seem to stabilize in regard to motor performance - while boys improve during the later teenage years.

Girls tend to be more flexible than boys and peak in their flexibility around age fifteen. Boys develop increased flexibility later in adolescence.  Decreased flexibility may cause an increased risk for overuse injuries in both boys and girls.

What are the most common injuries?

Ankle and knee injuries have been the most predominant ailments of our athletes over the years. Ankle injuries are typically – sprains that occur when an abnormal movement of force - causes the ligaments to be stretched or torn.  There is pain, swelling and often bruising on the outside of the ankle. Knee pain can be caused be several overuse syndromes. Two of the most common are...

• Patellofemoral syndrome is a disorder where the kneecap does not move in a normal manner when the knee is flexed and extended
• Osgood-Schlatter disease, which is seen in growing teens, is characterized by pain below the kneecap.  Typically the pain occurs during exercise when the tendon that connects the kneecap to the lower leg bone called the tibia is utilized

Another knee injury that occurs up to six times more frequently in girls age 14-16 - is the Anterior Cruciate Ligament sprain – or ACL sprain. It is a strong tissue and it connects the femur to the tibia - while it helps to stabilize the knee joint.  When the athlete has a sudden directional change - a strong force can be placed on this ligament causing a tear or rupture.  There may be a popping sound that is followed by pain, swelling and instability.

What injuries are the most serious?

Concussion is the most common head injury seen by sports physicians.  A concussion is defined as a transient alteration to the athlete’s mental status due to head injury.  Loss of consciousness is not necessary.  Concussion is graded from one to three depending on the severity.  Symptoms of grade one concussion included transient confusion such as inattention - inability to maintain a coherent stream of thought or carry out goal-directed movements.  There is no loss of consciousness and symptoms usually resolve in fifteen minutes or less.  A grade two concussion is more severe.  There is no loss of consciousness, but there is transient confusion and the symptoms last more than fifteen minutes.  A grade three concussion does have loss of consciousness. (From Harvard Medical School)

Do NOT allow the athlete with head trauma to participate in training or games. If you feel your athlete has a head injury – they need to be assessed by medical staff immediately.

How are injuries evaluated and treated?

Injuries should be assessed by a professional – regardless of the severity. We recommend Athletic Therapists.

What is an Athletic Therapist?

A Certified Athletic Therapist assesses injuries and conditions, utilizes contemporary rehabilitative techniques, therapeutic modalities, soft tissue mobilization, physical reconditioning, and supportive strapping procedures to promote an environment conducive to optimal healing in preparing the individual for safe reintegration into an active lifestyle. (From the Canadian Athletic Therapists Association website)

Visit www.athletictherapy.org for more information.

How are athletic injuries prevented?

The following are some of the strategies that may help teens prevent athletic injuries...

• Before each training / practice / game – proper dynamic warm up
• After each training / practice / game – proper cool down
• Improve flexibility
• Use proper and well fitted equipment
• Adhere to a strength and conditioning program
• Begin training several months before the sports activity is to begin
• Gradually increase training volume and intensity - but not more than ten percent each week
  • Increasing the training load by more than 10% each week - will lead to overtraining – which will lead to an injury or illness

We offer the following services to help your players reduce injuries...

• 1 on 1 personal fitness training
• Groups of - 2-4 athletes
• Small Groups – 5-9 athletes
• Team Training - 10-20 athletes

Since 1999, Glenn Vergie and his fitness coaches have been providing Calgary’s soccer players with leading edge soccer specific fitness training.

“We have been at the forefront with drills that teach your players how to sprint faster and more importantly, how to move quicker. Our training has set the standard for all others to follow”.