The simple solution to defeating acl injuries: teach healthy movement to our U-8s and U-10s!

To beat ACL injuries which are devastating our athletes in their teens and twenties, we have to train them to move healthier when they’re 8-14! Here’s how you can put that in place.

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How to make your dynamic warm-up into an ACL injury prevention warm-up

Dynamic warm-ups are the norm for teams getting ready to play, but they’re not enough to address the high risk for ACL injuries that exists for female high school athletes today. To do that, we need to include ACL injury … Continue reading

The Secret to Beating ACL Injury

ACL injuries should be on the decline since we know that ACL injury prevention programs like the FIFA 11+ significantly reduce the risk of this injury. But instead, they’re on the rise — especially among high school athletes and particularly … Continue reading

16 Action Items for Healthy Sport, Fitness and Life

The world’s leaders in exercise science and sports medicine met in Minneapolis at the 65th annual meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine. The result: BIG news and reliable, evidence-based recommendations for physical activity, health and the reduction of … Continue reading

Four Signs that Kids Sports Are Actually Hurting Them

When I was growing up playing sports, nobody ever got hurt, at least not seriously. I don’t remember a single teammate ever complaining of knee pain, shin pain, heel pain or hip pain. Today nearly all young athletes eventually experience … Continue reading

The Killer Dynamic Warm Up in 5 Simple Steps

Confused about getting your dynamic warm up right? It’s the first thing I do with every youth team, no matter the sport, is make sure they perform a complete dynamic warm up before every practice and every game. A regular dynamic … Continue reading

What Does an ACL Really Cost?

What does an Anterior Cruciate ligament (ACL) tear really cost? Young athletes don’t have a clue. I’ll never forget sitting with Katherine and her dad as we looked at the video of her performance in the screening exercises. I cautioned … Continue reading

Beating ACL Injuries: Three Steps Every Coach Can Take

ACL tear. Out for the season. Words no one ever wants to hear. But we keep hearing them. In soccer, football, basketball, field hockey, lacrosse and even in ultimate frisbee! If you know these kids personally, this becomes a personal issue. … Continue reading

ACL Recovery and Return to Sport

If you are 4-6 months post ACL surgery and your doctor tells you it’s okay to return to play ask him/her this: “how do you know I am ready?” According to Dr. Tim Hewett, 85% of the doctors making this … Continue reading

Dynamic Youth Fitness: Wall Jump

Here’s a look at girls performing the wall jump. They are asked to jump off of two feet using their arms to propel them upwards, and to land quietly on both feet. Then to spring up again. Their verbal cue is … Continue reading