FIFA youth program tied to better balance in girls' soccer study
A small pilot study found an eight-week FIFA 11+ Kids program improved injury-related movement measures in girls ages 8 to 11.
By Priya Raghavan · Science Reporter
2 min read
An eight-week FIFA training program improved balance and strength measures in a small study of girls ages 8 to 11 who play soccer, researchers reported. The findings matter for youth sports because researchers said female soccer players face higher risks of leg and ankle injuries than boys, partly because of differences in strength and balance.
The pilot study, published in the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, tested the FIFA 11+ Kids program, a training routine aimed at younger players. FIFA is the soccer organization that sponsors the World Cup.
Researchers enrolled 14 girls in the FIFA 11+ Kids program while they continued their regular soccer training. They compared those players with 12 girls who took part only in their usual team training, according to the study summary reported by HealthDay.
The FIFA program focuses on strength, balance and coordination, researchers said. After the eight-week period, girls who used the program showed better dynamic balance, meaning they were better able to stay stable and controlled while moving or changing body position, according to the researchers.
The study also found better glute-to-quadriceps strength ratios among girls in the FIFA program. Researchers said those ratios are linked with greater stability in the legs and ankles.
Senior researcher Dr. Shari Liberman, an orthopedic surgeon at Houston Methodist, said in a news release that young female soccer players have risk factors that standard training programs may not fully address. Researchers cited lower hip strength, reduced trunk stability and other differences that can affect how female athletes change direction and speed during play.
Those movement demands are central to soccer, where players repeatedly stop, turn, accelerate and react to contact or the ball. Researchers said training that targets neuromuscular control, stability and sound movement patterns earlier in childhood may help reduce future knee and ankle injuries in female players.
The authors framed the findings as preliminary. They said larger studies are needed to confirm whether the FIFA 11+ Kids program can reliably reduce injuries, rather than only improve movement and strength markers tied to injury risk.
The study was listed as “Fédération Internationale de Football Association 11+ Kids Program Improves Dynamic Balance in Youth Female Soccer Players—A Pilot Study.” Jordan Jackson and colleagues authored the paper, according to the journal citation.
This story draws on original reporting from Medical Xpress.