The rise of club sports prompted me to question the direction youth sports were headed, but when my daughter tore her ACL, I felt an obligation to share what our family learned the hard way about this serious injury. Over the last 20 years injury prevention programs have been developed. But the number of injuries hasn’t come down, and it won’t come down until coaches implement these programs. While I take a personal timeout, this post from March of 2021 is worth another read.

During the month of March we celebrate some of the things that have been most important to me in my life. Women’s History Month celebrates the vital role women have in our society. March Madness celebrates the excitement of watching good basketball. And the lesser-known National Athletic Training Month recognizes the contribution of athletic trainers to the sports we enjoy playing and watching.

I would be as unaware of the last tribute as most people if it weren’t for my daughter.

The rise of ACL injuries

The worst injury I or my teammates experienced while playing basketball in the 1970s was a sprained ankle. During the 80s my dad and husband would occasionally mention a college or NBA player who tore their ACL (anterior cruciate ligament). Then they described the severity and long recovery for such an injury.

In the late 90s we began hearing of high school students tearing their ACLs and in the 2000s, while attending our daughters’ sports events, we saw an alarming number of kids—mostly girls—strapped into a full-leg brace, most likely because of an ACL tear.

Kids were playing more often and at a much higher intensity than we did, so it made sense there would be more injuries. But an ACL tear is much more serious than a sprained ankle. An ACL injury and reconstruction has immediate and potential long-term mental and physical impacts. It should never be considered a routine or expected injury.

As I’ve mentioned before, avoiding serious injury was just one of the reasons we chose to limit our daughters to one sport per season and encouraged a variety of activity. We were intentional about the number of hours they spent in sports. But that alone did not keep them safe.

When my daughter called from basketball camp to tell me she hurt her knee, I knew to be worried.

When an MRI confirmed she had torn her ACL my first concern was for my daughter’s well-being. She was only 14, her growth plates weren’t closed, and she was scheduled for surgery the week before she started high school.

We followed every direction from her surgeon before and after he reconstructed her ligament. We adjusted our schedules so we could drive her to a sports rehabilitation program twice a week for four months. Many girls tear their ACL again, or tear the other one. If she decided to play again, we wanted her to be as ready as possible. She learned the correct way to land, turn and move her body. Most importantly, she gained the confidence to return to play.

And we all got an education about ACL tears.

Did you know that girls are 5-8 times more likely than boys to tear an ACL?

And did you know that there are preventative programs that can be incorporated into practices that can reduce the risk? If not, don’t feel bad. I had no idea before our experience. But when I learned, I wondered how many other people knew. Turns out, not many.

As my daughter went through rehab and returned to sport, I was working on a master’s degree. I had wanted to study a women’s health issue and one had just presented itself. For my thesis research, I interviewed coaches and athletic directors at small, medium and large high schools. Very few were aware of the risks of ACL tears and only one had implemented prevention measures in his team’s practices—because he had lost several players to “ACLs.”

If you have a daughter who plays sports or you coach girls, please learn more

Here are some resources to get you started, but a Google Search for ACL tears and any reputable health care organization or university sports medicine department will provide information about the latest research and prevention programs.

• National Athletic Trainers’ Association – 10 Things to Know About ACL Injury

• Johns Hopkins Medicine – Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Injury or Tear

• Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia – Setting Expectations for Pediatric ACL Surgery Recovery

• SportsMetrics USA – ACL Injury Prevention Program

Not the last chapter

My daughter recovered from her ACL tear and played volleyball and basketball for three years in high school. Inspired by the athletic trainers who facilitated her rehabilitation, she chose to become one herself.

After working with Division 1 athletes for eight years in a variety of sports, her attention has turned to prevention. She is earning a PhD with a goal of furthering the research and developing knee injury prevention programs.

It seems appropriate—she was born in March.

Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional. Statements are based on personal experience, credible news articles and medical resources. My intention is to raise awareness. Please learn more and discuss questions and concerns with your family's physician.