ACL Injury Prevention and Performance Enhancement Program Part 2

Course overview

The Seattle Pediatric Sports Medicine (SPSM) ACL Injury Prevention and Performance Enhancement Program was designed by physicians, physical therapists, and athletic trainers as a dynamic warmup. The intent is to reduce ACL injuries in youth sports as well as to enhance sports performance. The inspiration for this program came from the epidemic levels of youth sports injuries, including ACL sprains, as well as the scant number of existing programs that target injury prevention or performance enhancement in young athletes. Each exercise in the program has been selected based on the research that demonstrates benefit as far as enhancing dynamic mobility, strength, motor control, and agility. The program is intended to be carried out before each practice and game. It should take 16-18 minutes to complete. Participants will gain a thorough understanding of the characteristics of the program, resources needed for implementation, recommended teaching tips, barriers to overcome, common movement faults, and optimal biomechanics for the performance of each exercise. The applicable audience for this course includes physicians, physical therapists, athletic trainers, and coaches who work with youth sports at high risk for ACL injuries. The setting for program instruction is the venue where the athletes train and compete.