Sports participation has tremendous physical benefits for children and adolescents. This includes improved bone health, cardiovascular fitness, and quality of life, along with a decreased risk of developing cancer and diabetes.5
While the physical benefits are significant, sports participation comes with an inherent risk of physical injury. This risk will never be completely eliminated. However, research shows that there are several strategies youth athletes can take to significantly reduce injury risk.
This guide is designed to provide players, parents and coaches with strategies that have been shown to significantly decrease injury risk in youth athletes. All of the information presented in this guide is based on high-quality, peer-reviewed research articles. A complete list of references can be found below.
Neuromuscular Training
Neuromuscular Training (NMT) is defined as “a training program that incorporates general (e.g., fundamental movements) and specific (e.g., sport-specific movements) strength and conditioning activities, such as resistance, dynamic stability, balance, core strength, plyometric, and agility exercises.”3
Neuromuscular training programs have been shown to significantly reduce the risk of injury in youth athletes. Multiple studies show that incorporating a neuromuscular training program reduces injury risk by up to 50%.4,6
Optimal neuromuscular training program type and duration vary from athlete to athlete. Studies show that, in general, youth athletes experienced the greatest reduction in injury risk when a neuromuscular training program was performed for 10-15 minutes, 2-3 times per week.6
Recently, FIFA came out with a soccer-specific neuromuscular training program called “FIFA 11+.” Clinical trials have shown that, when performed twice a week, the program reduced training injuries by 37% and match injuries by 29%. A pdf of this program is free to download at sparkplayerdevelopment.com.2
Sleep and Nutrition
Proper sleep and nutrition are vital to maintain general health and optimize sports performance and recovery. Studies show that both a lack of sleep and improper nutrition are linked to an increased injury risk.
Studies show that athletes who report consistently getting eight or more hours of sleep had a significantly reduced risk of injury. Similar studies found that athletes who reported fewer than 6 hours of sleep had a significantly higher risk of sustaining fatigue-related injuries. The benefits of a good night’s sleep can not be understated. Aside form injury prevention, proper sleep is linked to optimized performance and recovery.7
Nutrition has been shown to play a vital role in performance and recovery. Proper nutrition can support growth and development, and optimize performance and recovery. Improper or inadequate nutrition can lead to feelings of fatigue and impair cognitive function. This, in turn, can lead to an increased risk of injury.9
More information on optimal nutrition and sleep can be found on sparkplayerdevelopment.com.
Psychological Risk Factors
Stress and anxiety have both been shown to significantly increase injury risk in youth athletes. “Psychological stress has been shown to influence performance by narrowing an athlete’s attention and increasing his or her self-consciousness. In doing so, muscle tension is increased while simultaneously exposing coordination difficulties, thus enhancing injury risk.”10 One study shows that stressful life events can increase injury risk by around 25%, while another study found that injuries were 70% more common among athletes with high perceived stress.10
There are two main strategies for coping with excessive stress and anxiety. Task-oriented coping focuses on finding solutions to the stressful situation. This is in contrast to avoidance-oriented coping strategies, which involves avoiding the situation, denial, and loss of hope. Research shows that youth athletes who use task-oriented coping strategies for excessive stress are likely to lower their perceived stress levels and significantly reduce their risk of injury. 10
More information on mental health and wellness in youth athletes can be found on sparkplayerdevelopment.com.
Warm up
A proper warm up is essential to optimize performance and lower injury risk. Warming up muscles has been shown to increase both the speed and force of muscle contractions. Active warmups should be designed to raise core body temperature without fatiguing the athlete. Studies show that warming up before exercise can significantly reduce a young athlete’s risk of muscular injury.8
Conclusion
Sports participation has been shown to have tremendous physical benefits for youth athletes. However, sports participation also comes with an inherent injury risk. While injury risk can not be eliminated, there are several strategies that can be used to limit this risk.
Following a proper neuromuscular training routine, along with a healthy diet and adequate amounts of sleep significantly reduce injury risk. Properly dealing with stress and anxiety through task-oriented coping strategies has also been shown to reduce injury risk. Finally, a proper warm up that raises body temperature without fatiguing the athlete significantly reducing injury risk.
At Spark Player Development, we understand the importance of injury prevention. Every training session with Spark begins with a gradual warm up. We provide our athletes with resources that support physical and mental well-being. We also provide our athletes with neuromuscular training routines that have been shown to significantly reduce risk of injury.
This resource is intended as a general overview of injury prevention in youth athletes. It is important to understand that every athlete is unique. Always consult a medical professional for any specific medical advise.
References
- Caine, D., Walch, T., & Sabato, T. (2016). The elite young athlete: Strategies to ensure physical and emotional health. Open Access Journal of Sports Medicine, Volume 7, 99–113. https://doi.org /10.2147/OAJSM.S96821
- FIFA 11+ copy.pdf. (n.d.).
- Granacher, U., Puta, C., Gabriel, H. H. W., Behm, D. G., & Arampatzis, A. (2018). Editorial: Neuromuscular Training and Adaptations in Youth Athletes. Frontiers in Physiology, 9, 1264. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2018.01264
- Hanlon, C., Krzak, J. J., Prodoehl, J., & Hall, K. D. (2020). Effect of Injury Prevention Programs on Lower Extremity Performance in Youth Athletes: A Systematic Review. Sports Health: A Multidisciplinary Approach, 12(1), 12–22. https://doi.org/10.1177/1941738119861117
- Kb, S. (n.d.). Benefits of Youth Sports. 4.
- Steib, S., Rahlf, A. L., Pfeifer, K., & Zech, A. (2017). Dose-Response Relationship of Neuromuscular Training for Injury Prevention in Youth Athletes: A Meta-Analysis. Frontiers in Physiology, 8, 920. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2017.00920
- Stracciolini, A., Sugimoto, D., & Howell, D. R. (2017). Injury Prevention in Youth Sports. Pediatric Annals, 46(3). https://doi.org/10.3928/19382359-20170223-01
- Woods, K., Bishop, P., & Jones, E. (2007). Warm-Up and Stretching in the Prevention of Muscular Injury: Sports Medicine, 37(12), 1089–1099. https://doi.org/10.2165 /00007256-200737120-00006
- Martínez García RM, Jiménez Ortega AI, López Sobaler AM, Ortega RM. Estrategias nutricionales que mejoran la función cognitiva [Nutrition strategies that improve cognitive function]. Nutr Hosp. 2018 Sep 7;35(Spec No6):16-19. Spanish. doi: 10.20960/nh.2281. PMID: 30351155.
- Sabato, T, Walch, T., & Caine, D. (2016). The Elite Young Athlete: Strategies to Ensure Physical and Emotional Health. Journal of Sports Medicine, 20(6:7), 99–113.