This past off-season, I made a prediction to all of the
players that I work with. That there would be 1 player that would have
the best season of all of them. Her name is Hayden Latham, and she plays
for The Yale Women's Basketball Program.
This off-season, we set the short term goal of working on her
mid-range game off the dribble. And the long term for her to be All-Ivy League
this season. But I got the call right before Thanksgiving. During
her first week of practice at Yale, she tore her ACL and is out for the year.
Perhaps, you were already aware that female athletes are 4
to 10 times as likely to suffer an ACL tear than male athletes. Or that many
ACL injuries occur with either very little contact, or no contact AT ALL.
Female athletes are more prone to knee injuries because of
their anatomical makeup. They have smaller ACL's than men, a wider
pelvis, and a steeper angle from the hips to the knee than male athletes do.
Therefore, when female athletes do certain athletic movements, more tension is
put on the medial area of the knee, which can cause the knee to cave inwards,
and the ACL to tear.
And it can take anywhere from 6 months to 1 year for
athletes to get back to playing at full capacity
Is there anything athletes can do to prevent ACL tears?
YES!!!
Improved strength and stability - (especially on 1 leg!) can
aid in the Reduction and Prevention of ACL injuries. Here are two 1
minute videos that can help prevent athletes from tearing their ACL.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlDSV-H03zs&feature=endscreen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOwKQVXe4Fo
An ounce of
prevention... Is worth a Pound of Cure!
