In 2017, a study announced the existence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy in four former footballers. Many have asked: Do soccer players get CTE? This was, according to media that pounced on the story, definitive proof.
However, a closer analysis of the study, one that doesn’t just take the findings completely out of context, as most media publications do when any new scientific study comes, shows it’s far more complicated than that.
The most essential part of any soccer player's game is staying healthy and on the field. Too often, particularly in women's soccer, ACL injuries keep players in the physical therapy clinic and away from the pitch. Although there is no way to eliminate the risk of injury, an optimal training regimen can help prevent ACL injuries.
Injuries are a part of sports. So it’s only fitting that as you train for soccer, you should also train to avoid injuries. Injury prevention for kids is particularly critical as over 1.5 million kids injure their knees and ankles every year. ACL injuries in kids especially are on the rise, with a 400% increase in the last decade.
Ask any soccer player what injury they dread the most and the likely answer is going to be either an ACL tear or a concussion. A rightfully-invigorated focus on concussions in particular has been brought on in recent years by the issues coming to light in the NFL. The frequency with which they occur, the fear they invoke, and the serious long term damage they may inflict have led a number of medical institutes to undergo extensive research into how to decrease the prevalence of head injuries.
So you’re the kid on the team with a slender, 5-foot-something frame and weight that falls right in the middle of the 50th percentile for your age. You’ve heard the words “scrawny” and “toothpick” tossed around by coaches when discussing your physique. However, as a product of your natural build, you also possess pace, good foot speed and decent technical ability.
A lot of amazing athletes have torn their ACLs. Derrick Rose, Adrian Peterson and Tom Brady just to name a few. It’s probably the biggest fear for any athlete who relies on their legs, as the recovery can take up to 10 months – and that doesn’t even include the psychological aspect of the injury.