Injury Risk Factors in Male Youth Soccer Players

Abstract

Young athletes participating in high-intensity sport display an inherent risk of sports-related injury, and this is heightened at various stages of growth and maturation. Recent trends have highlighted a range of injury risk factors and the importance of injury prevention strategies within female soccer players. However, there is a paucity of information pertaining to male youth players. This article provides an overview of the available literature and outlines a range of risk factors that may increase relative risk of injury in male youth soccer players, including growth and maturation, movement skill, fatigue, and previous injury.