Outreach > Ohio Premier Girls Soccer Club
OSU Sports Medicine is passionate about being the best. Our goal is to prevent injuries and build outstanding athletes from the inside out. Collectively, OSU Sports Medicine and Ohio Premier Girls Soccer Club (OP) have partnered in innovative and ongoing research focused on total body dynamics to improve player development without increasing the risk of injury. Our new OSU Sports Biomechanics Laboratory provides a state-of-the-art research facility for developing, validating and advancing the most cutting-edge ACL injury prevention and performance enhancement programs.
The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is an important stabilizer of the knee during jumping and cutting activities. It can be torn by contact (when someone hits the knee) or by non-contact (landing from a jump or cutting). Female athletes are 4-6 times more likely to suffer an ACL injury compared to males in the same sports. Soccer and basketball are the sports with the highest incidence of ACL tears. 70% of all ACL injuries are non-contact.
There are many theories as to why women are more susceptible to tear the ACL. Some of these risk factors cannot be controlled - such as women having a smaller ACL compared to men - but recent research has found evidence that reduced hamstring strength, incorrect jumping and cutting mechanics and poor balance and body awareness can all be factors that increase one's risk of injury.
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The goal of the OSU ACL Injury Prevention Program is to improve hamstring strength, jumping technique, cutting mechanics, balance and body awareness to help reduce the risk of ACL injury among soccer players. Bettina Schroeder, PT is uniquely qualified to direct this program – she has played soccer for 23 years and has been through ACL surgery and rehabilitation herself. She grew up in Alexandria, Virginia, playing soccer in the W.A.G.S league, on the Virginia State ODP team, and on Ohio State University's varsity women's soccer team and still plays on area women's and co-ed teams.
OSU Sports Medicine is proud to be a partner with Ohio Premier.
