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One workshop prepares youth coaches to implement knee injury prevention

By Jordana Bieze Foster

Youth soccer coaches can successfully implement an injury prevention program after a single 90-minute training workshop, according to research presented in May at the ACSM meeting.

In a study done at the University of Connecticut in Storrs, the coaches of 12 youth soccer teams (89 players, age range 8-14 years) attended a training workshop before implementing a warm-up based injury prevention program for a single season. The coaches of six teams observed researchers implementing the program for a season prior to the training workshop; the coaches of the other six teams had workshop training only.

Landing Error Scoring System (LESS) scores, a measure of landing-based lower extremity injury risk, were significantly better at the end of the coach-led intervention season than at its beginning (mean change, .8 fewer errors), regardless of whether the coaches had been exposed to the program prior to the training workshop. Among the 64 players at high risk for knee injury according to baseline LESS scores, the intervention was associated with LESS score improvement of 2.3 fewer errors.

Source:

Pryor JL, Root HJ, Martinez JC, et al. Coach-led injury prevention program improves jump-landing technique in youth soccer athletes. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2015;46(5 Suppl);S340.

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