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Articles on national women's players


Vic

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Makes me worry about my daughter's ACLs though... First Kara retires prematurely, now I learn that Jonelle has had one torn.

Hamstring strengthening time!

(Jonelle was my favourite forward to watch in Cancun, even with supercaptain and Josée Bélanger out there...)

The amount of ACL tears in women's scocer (in Canada and the USA) these days is at all time highs. I have seen girls as young as 12 tearing their ACL's.. does not make sence. Morace was also amazed over this when she came to Canada. We do not provide proper training and over work athletes instead with pure soccer training, instead of concentrating long-term and spending time on agility/coordination/strength training.

And also a big factor is artificial turf fields, especially when wearing turf shoes (rubber cleats). Great traction but not much "give" when you make the wrong movement or get hit. I am not sure of the stats but the % of "non-contact" ACL tears is quite big and this IMHO was not seen in the old days - pre-artificial turf fields.

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^ Do you have any hard statistics to back you assertion about AT or is this subjective, anecdotal stuff?

I think the root cause of such injuries in women and girls is inadequate training/coaching. The number of injuries may look high subjectively but is it really, relative to the burgeoning popularity of the women's game and therefore increased number of female players in the game? How does the proportion compare with men?

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Richard

I think the answer to "how does the proportion compare with men" is easily answered via a little googling, and is really not part of your otherwise valid questioning.

Women are 2 to 8 times more likely to have ACL injuries based on various studies.

I suspect the burgeoning popularity (meaning spreading the coaching talent thin) and resultant inadequate coach training is probably the key. It's important to recognize the gender-specific risk, though.

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The gender proportionality is quite germane to the discussion though your references are very vague. It merely suggests women need to be more cautious or train harder and more specifically to compensate for the gender difference because AT is not going away, quite the contrary very likely. Whatever the reason for it (you blame spreading coaching talent thinly), it is plain that inadequate training/coaching is a major factor.

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q-angle

My non-scientific observation of women and girls over the decades has been players who cross-train in other sports and develop a more balanced array of muscles are much less likely to have an injury.

Little known fact: women are more likely to have an ACL injury during their period.

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The amount of ACL tears in women's scocer (in Canada and the USA) these days is at all time highs. I have seen girls as young as 12 tearing their ACL's.. does not make sence. Morace was also amazed over this when she came to Canada. We do not provide proper training and over work athletes instead with pure soccer training, instead of concentrating long-term and spending time on agility/coordination/strength training.

And also a big factor is artificial turf fields, especially when wearing turf shoes (rubber cleats). Great traction but not much "give" when you make the wrong movement or get hit. I am not sure of the stats but the % of "non-contact" ACL tears is quite big and this IMHO was not seen in the old days - pre-artificial turf fields.

Rubbish. Please go read the FIFA studies on AT's as they have spent tons of money on showing AT's are fine -http://www.fifa.com/search/index.html?q=artificial%20turf%20studies

We had a very extensive AT vs grass thread here at the V's but I can't find it anymore.

Yep, the reason youth players get injured on any field is they have not been coached and trained to adapt to the field conditions and choose the right footwear. There is a huge difference of how you play on any surface that is used in the amateur game. In Vancouver, kids play on gravel, grass with no drainage, grass with a dirt base, grass with a sand filled base for drainage, grass that has never been rolled to make it level, grass fields with infields and several different varies of artificial turf.

A coach has a duty to prepare their players for the field conditions just like they do for making the kids wear their proper uniform on the field and staying dry and warm on the sidelines in team kit or under a team canopy sitting on a insta bench. In the last decade I've only had 1 player injured due to field conditions and that was because the player didn't do what they were trained to do.

Regardless of how much BS I take from other coaches about my fitness testing, cross training, PEP, off the ball training, adapting to fields, prehab/rehab, injury rest/not play with injuries and etc, I ain't going to change things unless something better comes long to add to what I have a track record with.

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q-angle

My non-scientific observation of women and girls over the decades has been players who cross-train in other sports and develop a more balanced array of muscles are much less likely to have an injury.

Little known fact: women are more likely to have an ACL injury during their period.

Good info and my easy explanation to females on the importance of cross training, off the ball training (PEP) and focus on legs is their pelvis's are wider.

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^ CoachRich / Richard

My views were purely what has been witnessed first hand having been around girls/boys soccer for the past 10 years:

Turf fields: they are riskier regardless what FIFA says, again IMHO. Yes you are right you need the right foot gear, but this info is not being communicated very much. At NTC Quebec players were not allowed to wear turf shoes (soft rubber cleats) a few years back, not sure if they changed their views now. But even with proper shoes the surface does not allow for much slippage and many times a wrong move/twist will hurt you. I have seen at least 4 non-contact ACL tears simply during a quick pivot.

Girls/Boys: Girls are more susceptible, yes due to their built as shown in your diagram, but maybe due to inadequate training also, who knows, leave it up to you more knowledgeable Coaches....

My hard facts from players at NTC QC and the Greater Montreal area: Past 8-9 years of following soccer in the 1991-1995 age group, boys and girls, I have seen/known of:

- Approx. 15 ACL tears with the girls

vs.

- 2 on the boys side.

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Here's an article that includes some interesting information on this very subject

When the Game is Taken Away: The Silent Injury - Iside Minnesota Soccer

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, more than 3.5 million children aged 14 years and younger are treated for sports injuries and nearly half of all injuries sustained by middle school and high school students during sports are overuse injuries.

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"Overuse"...Yes agree. For example, players in our Provincial/NT programmes are so far stretched and pressured to keep up with several teams and perform.... it is a recipe for disaster (first hand knowledge here also)

Here is another article that really says it all.... I like when she says "...maybe it happened for a reason...".

http://www.ussoccer.com/News/U-20-WNT/2010/07/There-Is-Life-After-ACL.aspx

P.S. I am off this topic. Lets move on to a more happy place!

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While I can't cite the research on the subject I knew a women's basketball coach who over 15 years of coaching high school age girls said that the number of ACL for young women was 3 to 4 times that of similar age men. You can't blame that on turf vs grass but he attributed it to better grip on the court shoe. (Yeah Nike) He said that the foot didn't slip as much while in contact with the floor and the force was sent from the lower leg to the knee. He also noticed that he had fewer ankel injuries as the shoes got better but more ACL injuries. What's the data on other sports, e.g. tennis, volleyball, hockey etc. I suspect it is the different construction of the women's leg.

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  • 1 month later...

Unfortunately lost in the shuffle of all the drama lately was noticing this wonderful piece that came out about a week earlier. I've read a number of thank-you statements by players over the years, but I don't remember one as well done:

'It is an honour to wear the Canadian jersey and to be able to represent my country at the next FIFA Women’s World Cup Germany 2011,' said Josée Bélanger of Coaticook, QC.

'I would like to share my success with you, my formidable family, my extraordinary friends, my colleagues in Québec as well as you, the passionate fans of our sport. You have always been there to support me, be it from far away or close by, in this truly enriching experience. There are so many of you behind me that greatly encourage my pursuit of excellence.

'A special thank you is also reserved to my teammates and my coaches for their support in helping me to improve throughout the season.

'Thank you to all, the Canadian soccer fans, for your interest in our women’s national team. I hope that we may inspire anew this wonderful passion for the beautiful game in 2011.'

http://www.canadasoccer.com/news/viewArtical.asp?Press_ID=4647

That's Canada. Right there. That's the stuff Canadians need to hear. That's how you build a pyramid and climb a mountain. Nothing attracts a country like charm and grace.

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  • 4 weeks later...

The lead story on Canada's profile page on the FIFA website today:

http://www.fifa.com/associations/association=can

Social Responsibility

Hooper: Change must come from the top

(FIFA.com) Wednesday 16 March 2011

Charmaine Hooper is a legend in Canada and the world of women’s football. Strong, powerful and determined, the Guyana-born powerhouse played 131 times for the Canadian national team, scoring no fewer than 71 goals, and went on to become one of the biggest names in the women’s game. Now enjoying her retirement in the southern part of the USA, the well-travelled striker and three-time FIFA Women’s World Cup veteran spoke exclusively to FIFA.com about her ugly experience with racism in football and what she thinks can be done to stamp it out for good.

1394558_large.jpg

FIFA.com: How would you describe or define discrimination?

Charmaine Hooper: It encompasses a lot of things. But in its essence I would say it’s the preventing of a group or an individual from achieving a goal or participating in something, or being part of a group. It’s an exclusion.

Have you ever experienced an identifiable instance of discrimination?

In life you come across different types of discrimination. There’s direct and indirect, and the indirect kind you aren’t always aware of.

Have you ever experienced an instance of the direct variety on a football pitch?

One incident stands out in my mind, from when I was playing in Italy. We were away from home – I don’t really even remember where the stadium was. The fans, as usual, were doing what they could do to intimidate us. But then they started to jeer me in particular. They were making animal noises whenever I touched the ball.

I’m sure it will take some time to stamp racism and discrimination out of the game, but it can be stopped and the will has to be there.

-- Charmaine Hooper

What were your feelings when you realized what was happening?

It was the first time I’d ever come across anything like that. I consider myself a pretty strong individual, and I was usually able to channel that kind of anger into my playing. But this was more devastating than anything I’d experienced, and I thought to myself ‘how am I supped to handle this?’. The best thing I could think of was to keep my composure, keep doing my job and be a professional. That said, it was an unbelievable thing to experience.

Did you report the incident to anyone after the game? Was the club fined?

There were no controls, no discipline to be taken and no real course of action. It was 1993 and women’s football at that time was still developing and we were lucky if we got paid on time - it was very rare - and the women’s game was very much second class to the men’s.

Then what, as an individual, can you do to combat that kind of racism when it happens?

As a player there’s not much recourse. You are out there and trying to do a hard job on the field. The changes have to come from the top.

How do you think soccer and FIFA can help in the fight against discrimination?

I know FIFA and some of the clubs out there have tried to take a stand against racism, and they need to keep going forward. There have to be repercussions against clubs where things like this happen. They need to be docked points and be fined if these kinds of things are rampant. The clubs themselves need to stamp the racism out, so the clubs need to have pressure put on them.

Do you think the current controls need to be increased?

Yes, I do. The punishment can’t just be a slap on the wrist, or else these things continue. What happened to me is nothing compared to what happens in the some of the men’s leagues. It’s disappointing, and I’m not sure it happens in other sports. It’s disappointing for our game. I’m sure it will take some time to stamp racism and discrimination out of the game, but it can be stopped and the will has to be there.

http://www.fifa.com/aboutfifa/worldwideprograms/news/newsid=1394518.html

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