Injury Types and Training Habits among Soccer (Football) Athletes.

Background: For soccer athletes, injuries are frequent and pose a considerable health and financial burden for individuals and families. While studies have previously assessed the incidence of soccer injuries and preventive strategies male athletes use to reduce these occurrences, few have included women and players of varying skill levels.

Objective: To report the frequency of injuries in a cohort of male and female soccer athletes and describe the training habits that have helped prevent injury.

Methods: Two hundred (n=200) United States participants completed a questionnaire on soccer practicing frequency, habits, injuries, and treatments. A screening question ensured all respondents had played soccer for at least one year and determined eligibility for the study. Participant information related to age, sex, education, income, and race was also collected. JMP statistical software was used to analyze collected data and build multivariate regressions, mosaic plots, and histograms.

Results: The mean number of practice sessions per week was 3.60 +/- 1.64, and the median experience playing soccer was 2-4 years. Older participants were more likely to practice once (p = 0.0001) or twice (p= 0.0008) per week. Women were less likely to include warmups before playing soccer (p = 0.022). This was problematic as participants who did not include a proper warmup routine were more likely to have been absent from play for longer amounts of time following injury (p = 0.032). The four most common injury sites were knees (n = 35, 17.5%), ankles (n = 31, 15.5%), shoulders (n = 25, 12.5%), and head/neck (n = 24, 12%). 140 (47.62%) patients used pain medication as their main remedy, 128 (43.54%) went to physical therapy, and 26 (10.78%) underwent surgery.

Conclusion: In any sample of soccer athletes involving variations in sex, race, and competitive play, injuries are highly common. Few studies before this one have included female athletes, and our findings highlight an important discrepancy in training habits between sexes. Women are less likely to follow a warmup regimen and are thus injured for longer. Incorporating dynamic stretching and plyometrics are particularly helpful to stay healthy.