SC Soccer Forums SCSoccer.com Forums Girls Varsity Soccer ACL injuries

I just found that in some studies done in the past 5 years, it shows that high school female athletes (14-18 years old) are at a 3-4 times higher risk at tearing an ACL in sex comparable sports like soccer and basketball. Females at age 16 are shown to have the highest rate overall and soccer causes the most tears for girls. Studies are saying that this is partly due to a set of factors that affect female risk of ACL injury. The factors for females are, anterior-posterior knee laxity (looseness of the knee when bending) and BMI. Male factors were different, and they were posterior knee stiffness (when the leg, on the back side of the knee, feels pain when bending the knee), navicular drop (height of non-weight bearing part of the foot) and decrease in standing quad angle (angle of the leg from hips to the knee). It is important to know about these findings since they can contribute to pre-season training with athletic trainers and coaches. It helps players and parents to understand and know what to look for and take preventative measures as well. Does this information affect any opinions about playing high school level soccer?

Short answer, no. Most of this is common knowledge to coaches especially on the girls side. It's up to the coach whether he/she trains and focuses on proper techniques and the necessary strength training needed to help prevent these injuries. Will the numbers always be higher than boys? Yes but steps can be taken to lower them

"Does this information affect any opinions about playing high school level soccer?"

The information is useful and will certainly keep it in mind, but my youngest daughter is approaching High School soccer and it will not deter me (or her) from participating.

And I say that with the additional pain of a Senior son who just blew his ACL in a High School game and ended his youth career sadly too short. His operation was just a week or so ago and will hobble all through summer and well into college.

But at the end of the day, I accept these risks as with any contact sport offsetting the joy they bring to those participating. My sons injury was just an accident, no dirty play, or hard tackle, just chasing down a long ball and planting his foot in a way I guess his knee didn't like on a cut.

In my day, I broke a couple of ribs and suffered a knee chip playing soccer, but those pail in memory and consequence to the broken bones I got just larking about as a kid and falling off my old bike with no brakes.

I certainly thank you for this information and will use it when coaching or working on fitness, but to answer your question, it will not alter my support for my youngest daughter to suit up for soccer if that is what she wants to do. And I'll share the information with her.