A Four-Year Prospective Study of Injuries in Elite Ontario Youth Soccer Players During Training and Match Play: A Follow-Up

Abstract

Introduction: With over 200 million amateur athletes worldwide, with soccer as one of the most popular and internationally recognized sports today. By understanding how and why soccer injuries occur, we hope to reduce prevalent injuries amongst soccer athletes. Methods: Via a prospective cohort, we tracked male and female soccer players between the ages of 13 to 17 eligible to train with the Ontario Soccer Association provincial program during the period of January 1st, 2013 and December 31st, 2016. Data collection occurred during all player exposures to potential injury. Exposures occurred at the Ontario Soccer Centre training grounds and various other venues on multiple playing surfaces throughout Ontario. Results: 473 injuries were recorded. Muscle strain, pull or tightness was responsible for 35.7% of all injuries and ranked as the most prevalent injury. Discussion: As anticipated, the most common injury reported in a four-year prospective study of injuries in elite Ontario youth provincial and national soccer players during training and match play was muscular strain, which warrants more suitable preventive programs aimed at strengthening and properly warming up the players’ muscles.