🚨 ACL Injuries in Youth Sports: Why They’re Happening Younger and How to Prevent Them

What every parent needs to know during the critical years of growth and development.

❗ The Alarming Rise of ACL Injuries in Young Athletes

Over the last decade, ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) injuries—once more common in high school and college athletes—are now appearing in athletes as young as 10 years old. This isn’t just bad luck. It’s a perfect storm of factors: early specialization, year-round competition, and growth-related biomechanical changes during puberty.

And while the headlines often spotlight torn ACLs in elite athletes, the real risk is in our middle school athletes—the ones with growing bodies and underdeveloped movement patterns, thrown into environments their neuromuscular systems can’t yet handle.

A 2018 study in the Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics found that ACL reconstructions increased nearly 3% per year in children aged 6 to 18 from 2005 to 2015—outpacing the growth in sports participation itself.

📚 Reference: Beck NA, et al. ACL Tears in School-Aged Children and Adolescents Over 20 Years. J Pediatr Orthop. 2017.

🧬 Growth Spurts & Injury Risk: The Perfect Storm

Adolescence is marked by rapid physical changes—bones lengthen, joints become temporarily unstable, and coordination often lags behind strength. This period, known as Peak Height Velocity (PHV), can drastically alter how your child moves.

What does that mean for sports?

It means:

• Stiff landings

• Collapsed knees

• Awkward changes of direction

• Increased risk of ligament strain, especially the ACL

If left unaddressed, these movement issues can become hard-wired, increasing injury risk not just now, but for life.

⚠️ Girls at Higher Risk: Here’s Why

Female athletes are up to 8 times more likely to suffer an ACL tear than their male peers, especially in jumping, pivoting, or cutting sports like soccer, basketball, and volleyball.

Why?

• Wider hips create more inward knee angles (valgus)

• Lower hamstring-to-quadriceps strength ratio

• Hormonal influences on ligament laxity

• Neuromuscular control differences not addressed in typical sports training

But here’s the good news: Injury risk can be reduced by up to 70% with proper training.

📚 Reference: Myer GD, et al. A Meta-analysis of the Efficacy of Neuromuscular Training Programs in Preventing ACL Injuries in Female Athletes. Am J Sports Med. 2013.

✅ What Smart, Age-Appropriate Training Looks Like

This isn’t about making your 12-year-old train like a pro. It’s about making sure their movement foundation is strong and adaptable as their body changes.

At Earn the Edge Performance, we train young athletes through a lens of injury prevention and biomechanical development, not just speed and strength.

Here’s what that looks like:

• Landing mechanics (learning how to decelerate safely)

• Core and glute activation (stabilize the hips and knees)

• Balance and proprioception (especially after growth spurts)

• Strength progression that matches limb length and neuromuscular readiness

• Movement assessments to catch red flags before they become injuries

This kind of training is not just important—it’s essential during the window between ages 10–14, when the groundwork for lifelong movement patterns is laid.

👀 What to Watch for at Home

If your athlete:

• Frequently lands or cuts with a “knock-knee” posture (knees collapsing inward)

• Complains of vague knee pain during or after practice

• Has had a recent growth spurt and looks more awkward or “off-balance” in motion

• Is playing multiple sports year-round without any movement training…

…it’s time for a proactive screen and some structured intervention.

🛡️ Upcoming ACL Screening Event

Keep your eyes out for an Earn the Edge ACL Risk Screening Event — a must-attend event for athletes ages 10–18.

👥 Who: Athletes ages 10–18

📍 What: Individual ACL risk screens & education for parents

This is not just for injured athletes—it’s for the ones you want to KEEP healthy. Prevention always costs less than surgery.

💬 Final Thoughts for Parents

Your athlete is not just growing in size—they’re developing the movement blueprint they’ll carry for years. The right training during this critical phase can reduce injury risk, improve performance, and build confidence.

We’re here to be your partner in keeping them healthy, strong, and ready for anything.

🟧 Follow @earn_the_edge for more updates and educational content.

🟧 Want to save your athlete’s future knees? Don’t wait—join us at the ACL prevention event.