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YOUTH SOCCER: WHAT’S THE GOAL?
by Jessica Laniak, PT, DPT, OCS,
Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children Center for Sports Medicine
This season, young athletes line
up on soccer fields with new
cleats, uniforms, teammates,
and coaches. But for many, the
fall soccer season is merely the
continuation of playing youth
soccer year-round.
The sports epidemic of specializing in one
sport too early (under the age of 12), has
been widely publicized. These days, however, it’s more than likely that you and your
young athlete spent most of your summer at
travel soccer tournaments, team camps, and
soccer preseason. I know, I’ve been there
with you.
I’m a mother of four
boys and a travel youth
soccer coach for my
10-year-old. I very often
grapple with my reality
of raising a soccer family and my professional
responsibility as a pediatric sports medicine
physical therapist. When
I integrate my current
daily life with my former
life as a collegiate soccer player, I totally understand the perspective of the player.
Soccer doesn’t feel excessive when you’re
spending time with teammates in between
games at a tournament or at team camp, but
it can seem overwhelming when you’re being
carried off the field with an injury. Or you’re
working your way back from an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear to try out for your high
school team.
And with this in mind, I ask you and your
young athlete to think about this: “Am I ready
for this season?”
THE RISKS OF TOO MUCH
YOUTH SOCCER
Many youth athletes have spent countless
hours perfecting their footwork, speed, and
multiple shots on goal to prepare for the
season. But, unlike their professional soccer
athlete counterparts, our athletes are still
growing and developing daily.
This makes young soccer players more
susceptible to injury, especially around their
growth plates. Having a pulled hamstring,
groin muscle, or hip flexor is not uncommon
in youth athletes. If they have a muscular
pain, they likely have at least irritated the
bone that it attaches to, causing something
called an “apophysitis” (an overuse injury of
the growth plate). These injuries should be
attended to carefully and
evaluated fully by a medical provider, rather than
played through. If your
athlete is limping after or
while playing, play
needs to stop.
Unlike their
professional soccer
athlete counterparts,
our athletes are
still growing and
developing daily.
WHEN YOU STEP OUT ONTO THE FIELDS THIS FALL,
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Remember that “success doesn’t happen overnight.”
Be the parent on the sideline, not the coach.
Be positive about your child’s performance and listen closely when they’re complaining.
Focus on what other areas outside of sports are giving them success and help them to
develop as a well-rounded person.
HOW TO REDUCE THE RISK OF
SOCCER INJURIES
Warming Up Before Play
Injury prevention programs like FIFA 11+
focus on a complete, dynamic warm-up
before training and before play. This
type of warm-up program is especially
crucial for kids who are still growing.
Return to Play
As a physical therapist, my immediate
concern is a child’s physical readiness
of returning to play. If your child was
recovering from an injury during the
summer season — whether it’s an ankle
sprain, an ACL surgery, or a concussion
— rehabilitation is most important.
Rushing the last few stages of recovery
to return to play “in your season” is just
asking for another injury. Or, it could
mean an unsuccessful season, playing
at less than 100 percent.
Work with your child’s physical
therapist and sports medicine team to
make sure not only the bare minimum is
met, but that your athlete is better than
before the injury. When kids increase
their complete athletic performance
during rehabilitation, they’ll be a
stronger player upon their return.
Mental Readiness
The mother in me and the former
athlete think about readiness in another
form, too — psychologically. We know
that over-training, specializing in one
sport, and the hormonal changes in
youth athletes all take a physical and
mental toll.
Signs of burnout in our youth
athletes are important to listen to and
address. Losing interest in their team
or sport, making negative comments
about their performance, and having
sleep disturbances aren’t always
related to being an adolescent. There’s
even research to support that athletes
experiencing burnout are also 70-93
percent mor