Reducing Knee Injuries with Jumping and Running

Some local female athletes have spent their summer running, jumping and stretching to help protect themselves against knee injuries.

One in every 100 high school female athletes will suffer from a serious knee injury this year.

The Sportsmetrics training program being held in the Bishop Rosecrans High School gym is designed to reduce the risks of knee injuries by teaching female athletes the proper techniques to use while playing sports.

“Female athletes tend to be a little bit weaker in their hamstrings versus their quads so there’s a muscular imbalance as well. So what we have seen through this program is that there’s just very poor landing and jumping techniques,” says Stacey Craig, physical therapist.

The middle school and high school athletes are measured through video analysis and their instructors say they’ve made a lot of progress.

“After probably the first week or two the girls were just starting to focus more and they’re more aware of their landing techniques and I think it’s just taught them just to control that part of their activity a little bit better,” she says.

The program finishes up this week. In addition to preventing injuries the instructors are hoping to improve the girls athletic performance.