EDITORIAL: How to minimize sports injury risk? Put the focus on fun

Aug. 15—Title IX, the landmark 1972 civil rights law, opened a lot of doors for female athletes — but it didn't change human biology. As a general rule, the average male still is taller and stronger than the average female. Males have wider shoulders and narrower hips. Males jump higher and run faster. In the boxing ring, they hit harder. In the swimming pool, they go faster. And the female anatomy, unfortunately, is more prone to knee injury than is the male. On Aug. 7, the Post Bulletin sports department published the last of a three-part series focusing on the increasing prevalence of serious knee injuries — especially ACL tears — in young female athletes. (The previous two articles appeared July 24 and July 31. ) The numbers are concerning. Nationally, between 2007 and 2022, the average annual ACL injury rate for high school female athletes increased 32%, compared to a 14.5% increase for male athletes. Last year in southern Minnesota's 12-team Gopher Conference, a veritable all-star starting five of girls basketball players suffered ACL injuries. Why is this happening? As stated above, part of the problem is simple anatomy. A female's wider pelvis causes her to land differently than a male when she jumps or leaps. Her hamstrings and quads operate differently. Simply put, a girl's "natural" or "instinctive" way of jumping, changing directions and suddenly stopping or starting can put a lot of strain on her knees — especially when it happens thousands of times, month after month, sometimes year-round. Many readers of this editorial likely have fond memories of their years playing high school sports, especially those who were "three-sport stars." They played football or volleyball in the fall, wrestled or played basketball in the winter, followed by track, baseball or softball in the mud and rain of spring. When a season ended, it actually ENDED. While many of today's prep athletes still follow that same calendar, a growing number instead specialize in one sport. Rather than picking up a new ball when one season ends, they go to camps. They train with private coaches. They join "travel teams" or play club sports. Their family calendars are filled with tournaments and competitions, with the goal of showcasing their skills against top-tier competition — and perhaps earning a college scholarship. Experts agree that this specialization is major factor in the rising toll of serious knee injuries. Immature, growing bodies require extended breaks from training, practice and competition — breaks that encompass weeks or months, not just a long weekend between tournaments. Furthermore, the science indicates that a young female athlete who doesn't get those extended respites, and who puts prolonged, repetitive stress on her ligaments and muscles, is twice as likely to suffer a serious injury than is a young male athlete who specializes in one sport. So, what to do? As is often the case, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Today, physical trainers (and coaches and parents, potentially) have access to a tremendous amount of information about anatomy, strength, movement and recovery. Young athletes (especially females) who seem destined for athletic stardom can receive neuromuscular training that strengthens their glutes and hamstrings and trains both body and mind to jump, cut and land in ways that, in theory, will minimize the risk of a devastating injury. Such training is in its relative infancy, but it's showing promise. Who knows? Ten or 20 years from now, the trend in knee injuries might have slowed, or even been reversed. But something else can be done, and it can be done right now. Put the focus on fun. It's natural for parents to want their child to excel in the classroom and/or on the athletic field. Parents take pride in kids' achievements, and to that end, many parents invest a tremendous amount of time and money in their child's extra-curricular activities, all the while saying things like "If you work hard enough, the sky's the limit." For about 99% of kids, that's not true. If you attend an eighth-grade AAU basketball tournament in Blaine or a 14-under softball tournament in Omaha, among the hundreds of athletes competing, only a handful will someday get a serious look from a Division I college. Less than one percent of all high school athletes will get a D-I scholarship, and just 7% will play any form of college sport — and that includes community colleges. Kids won't mind hearing truths like this from their parents. In fact, a lot of them will be relieved. For these kids, the joy of sports isn't all about being the best. It's in practicing with friends. Road trips on cold winter nights. Doing homework together on the bus. A big win over an arch-rival. Pep rallies. Senior night. Taking goofy pictures. Cheering for the bench-warmer who finally scores her first basket. Making memories that will last a lifetime, in a variety of sports. Playing "just for fun" doesn't guarantee protection from injury, but the science is clear: a kid who plays two or three sports during the school year and takes a two-month break every summer is less likely to get hurt. Of course, if a young athlete has both the passion and the physical gifts to excel, then there's nothing inherently wrong with specializing in one sport — but that decision should be the kid's. Parents can open doors, but the kids should choose to walk through them. They should do so with their eyes wide open regarding the possible risks and rewards of this level of athletic dedication.