Written by Holly Daywalt, SPT – DPT Candidate
ACL injuries are a prevalent issue in sports, particularly in high-impact sports like soccer. These injuries not only impact an athlete’s physical health but also impose emotional and financial burdens due to lengthy recovery times and potential long-term effects. The FIFA 11+ injury prevention program, a warm-up protocol designed to reduce the risk of such injuries, is one of the most well-researched programs shown to be effective for athletes. However, despite its benefits, adoption among soccer coaches remains low. Our study sought to understand if a brief educational webinar could improve coaches’ knowledge of the FIFA 11+ and promote its use.
The study followed a group of soccer coaches, providing them with a ~20-minute educational webinar covering ACL injury mechanisms and FIFA 11+ details. Coaches completed a survey before and after the webinar, and completed a follow-up survey four weeks later to track retention. This approach aimed to assess changes in knowledge, retention over time, and other barriers that prevent coaches from implementing the program.
Key Findings
1. Coaches showed an immediate increase in knowledge about ACL injuries and the FIFA 11+, with scores rising following the webinar. This improvement diminished after four weeks, suggesting improved short-term knowledge, but poor long-term retention.
2. Initially, coaches cited a lack of knowledge as the main barrier to using the FIFA 11+. After the webinar, this barrier was replaced by concerns about player cooperation and limited time. By the follow-up survey, “lack of time” emerged as the most cited challenge.
3. Although some coaches expressed an increased intention to implement the FIFA 11+, the overall rate of adoption did not significantly change. This may indicate a gap between recognizing the benefits of the program and committing to its practical application.
The study highlights the importance of understanding and addressing all barriers to implementing injury prevention programs like the FIFA 11+. While an educational webinar can offer an accessible way to improve knowledge, further research is needed to explore how to sustain knowledge and encourage broader adoption among coaches. Ultimately, equipping coaches with both knowledge and practical solutions is vital to enhancing player safety and preventing injuries in youth sports.
References
Barengo, N., Meneses-Echávez J.F., Ramírez-Vélez, R., Cohen, D., Gustavo T., Correa-Bautista, J.E. (2014). The Impact of the FIFA 11+ Training Program on Injury Prevention in Football Players: A Systematic Review. International journal of environmental research and public health.
Bizzini, M., Junge, A., Dvorak, J. (2007). The “11+” Manual: A complete warm-up programme to prevent injuries. FIFA Medical Assessment and Research Centre.
Bizzini, M., & Dvorak, J. (2015). FIFA 11+: an effective programme to prevent football injuries in various player groups worldwide—a narrative review. Br J Sports Med, 49:577–579.
Faul, F., Erdfelder, E., Lang, A.-G., & Buchner, A. (2007). G*Power 3: A flexible statistical power analysis program for the social, behavioral, and biomedical sciences. Behavior Research Methods, 39(2), 175–191.
Hawkinson, L. E., Yates, L., Minnig, M. C., Register-Mihalik, J. K., Golightly, Y. M., & Padua, D. A. (2022). Understanding Youth Sport Coaches’ Perceptions of Evidence-Based Injury-Prevention Training Programs: A Systematic Literature Review. Journal of athletic training, 57(9-10), 877–893.