Train Smarter: Injury Prevention for Girls in Sport
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Practical, evidence-backed strategies to keep young female athletes injury-free, confident, and thriving.
We want our girls to stay in sport- not just because it’s fun, but because sport builds strength, confidence, relationships, and resilience. But we also know that injuries can interrupt a girl’s progress and can even cause her to quit.
Girls can face unique risk factors that make them more vulnerable to injuries than boys. The good news? We have powerful tools, backed by science, to change this story! We start with education, strength, movement awareness, and early screening.
Why are Girls More Prone to Injury?
Research consistently demonstrates that girls are at risk for certain injuries, particularly:
- ACL and other knee injuries
- Ankle sprains
- Stress fractures and overuse injuries
This increased risk stems from a combination of biological, neuromuscular, and mechanical factors, including:
- Puberty-related hormonal changes, which can affect ligament laxity and muscle strength
- Shifts in neuromuscular coordination, as the nervous system adapts to a rapidly changing body
- Growth-related imbalances, where bones lengthen faster than muscles and tendons can keep up, resulting in temporary decreases in flexibility, strength, and coordination
A series of meta-analyses have concluded that girls’ injury risk can be dramatically reduced by up to 36-50% with targeted neuromuscular training. (Emery et al., 2015; Sugimoto et al., 2015; Stieb et al., 2017).
So, what is Neuromuscular Training?
Neuromuscular control is the body’s ability to coordinate movement efficiently and safely. It can involve exercises designed to improve:
- Balance and proprioception (the body’s awareness of its position in space)
- Strength
- Landing mechanics and control
- Agility and coordination
The Power of Prevention
We can’t change anatomy, but we can train smarter! Injury prevention programs work and they don’t have to be complex. Consistent implementation with just 15-20minutes, 2-3x/week has been shown to significantly reduce injury risk (Soligard et al., 2008). In addition, movement screening is a powerful tool to detect subtle risk factors before they lead to injury. For example, a trained professional, like a physiotherapist, might assess:
- Single leg squat and hopping control (with feedback and correction)
- Core, hip, leg strength and flexibility (especially hamstrings, glutes, and core)
- Balance and coordination, including agility movements like cutting, landing, and changing direction
Screening can identify early warning signs such as poor alignment, decreased strength or flexibility, or mechanics that are not ideal. With this information, athletes can be directed to simple corrective exercises and cues to improve these identified risk factors. This can be particularly important during a growth spurt or with increased activity volume, as these times often pose a greater risk for injury.
What to Look for and When to Seek Help
Aches and pains are common in active kids, but it’s important to not ignore persistent signs that something may be off. Watch for:
- Pain that lasts for more than a few days, especially when accompanied by swelling
- Changes in movement quality, like limping or favoring one side
- Consistently tripping, falling, or being “wobbly” as this is often a sign of growth (and reduced neuromuscular control)
- Reluctance or altered confidence to jump, land, and play
Getting support early from a qualified professional can prevent months of recovery later.
Key Takeaways
Sport should be a place where girls feel strong, capable, and confident. Movement screening isn’t about labeling or limiting kids- it’s about giving them tools, knowledge, and support to help them thrive. By identifying areas to improve, we can empower girls with strategies to build physical resilience and perform at their best.
Together, parents, coaches, and clinicians have an opportunity to lay the foundation for a lifelong love of movement, reducing preventable injuries, and keeping girls engaged in the activities they enjoy. When we collaborate, we can help girls stay in the game and feel confident every step of the way.
About the Author
Lauren Jenkins is a physiotherapist with over 15 years of experience in sport and community care. A passionate advocate for girls and women in sport, she brings both clinical expertise and personal insight as a mom of twin girls and a youth soccer coach.
Lauren has worked extensively with athletes across soccer, running, swimming, and gymnastics, developing and implementing injury prevention programs that are grounded in evidence and adapted for real-world application.
References
Emery, C. A., Roy, T.‑O., Whittaker, J. L., Nettel‑Aguirre, A., & van Mechelen, W. (2015). Neuromuscular training injury prevention strategies in youth sport: A systematic review and meta-analysis. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 49(13), 865–870.
Soligard, T., Myklebust, G., Steffen, K., Holme, I., Silvers, H., Bizzini, M., Junge, A., Dvorak, J., Bahr, R., & Andersen, T. E. (2008). Comprehensive warm-up programme to prevent injuries in young female footballers: Cluster randomised controlled trial. BMJ, 337, a2469.
