Injury prevention, sport by sport.

Fourteen guides written for girls’ teams — the injuries that actually happen in each sport, the female physiology that changes the risk, a timed warm-up you can run tomorrow, and the peer-reviewed sources behind every claim.

Read the Playbook Knowledge Library

Choose your sport

FOURTEEN EVIDENCE-BASED GUIDES

Each guide follows the same structure so coaches, parents, and clinicians always know where to look.

Fall / year-round club

Soccer

Non-contact knee injuries, ankle sprains, and concussion dominate girls' soccer. This guide covers the mechanisms, the female-specific drivers, and the 15-minute warm-up with the strongest trial evidence in any youth sport.

15 minutes 17 sources

Open guide

Winter / year-round AAU

Basketball

ACL and ankle injuries dominate girls' basketball, driven by landing mechanics and rebounding contact. This guide covers the mechanisms, the AAU load problem, and a 12-minute court-side warm-up.

12 minutes 15 sources

Open guide

Fall / club season winter–spring

Volleyball

Ankle sprains at the net, jumper's knee, and shoulder overuse define girls' volleyball. This guide covers landing mechanics, swing-volume management, and a 10-minute pre-practice protocol.

10 minutes 12 sources

Open guide

Winter indoor / spring outdoor / summer club

Track & Field

Bone stress injuries, hamstring strains, and shin pain dominate girls' track. This guide covers energy availability, mileage rules, event-specific risk, and a sprint-and-distance warm-up.

12 minutes 10 sources

Open guide

Spring / summer travel ball

Softball

Shoulder and elbow overuse, sliding injuries, and pitcher workload dominate girls' softball. This guide covers throwing-volume management, shoulder screening, and an arm-care protocol.

8 minutes 12 sources

Open guide

Year-round, tournament-driven

Tennis

Shoulder, trunk, and lower-limb overuse define junior girls' tennis. This guide covers serve-load asymmetry, tournament scheduling, and an on-court warm-up.

10 minutes 12 sources

Open guide

Spring / summer club

Lacrosse

Girls' lacrosse has a distinctive injury pattern driven by stick and ball contact rather than body checking. This guide covers head and eye protection, knee and ankle risk, and a 12-minute warm-up.

12 minutes 13 sources

Open guide

Year-round

Gymnastics

Wrist growth-plate injury, lumbar bone stress, ankle impact, and energy availability define girls' gymnastics. This guide covers landing volume, wrist care, and a 12-minute prep sequence.

12 minutes 11 sources

Open guide

Year-round

Cheerleading

Stunting falls, ankle sprains, and concussion define competitive cheer. This guide covers surface and spotting requirements, base and flyer conditioning, and a 10-minute prep protocol.

10 minutes 13 sources

Open guide

Year-round, high-volume

Swimming

Shoulder tendinopathy, breaststroker's knee, low back pain, and low bone density define competitive swimming. This guide covers stroke volume, dryland strength, and an 8-minute pre-pool protocol.

8 minutes 12 sources

Open guide

Fall, flexed-trunk sport

Field Hockey

Ankle sprains, ACL tears, low back pain, and ball/stick impacts define field hockey. This guide covers crouched-posture strength, landing and cutting control, and a 10-minute warm-up.

10 minutes 6 sources

Open guide

Fall, endurance

Cross-Country Running

Bone stress injuries, shin pain, knee pain, and REDs define girls' distance running. This guide covers mileage progression, fueling, strength work, and an 8-minute pre-run routine.

8 minutes 6 sources

Open guide

Year-round, aesthetic

Dance

Foot and ankle overuse, hip pain, low back stress, and REDs define dance. This guide covers strength for range, jump-landing control, fueling, and a 10-minute pre-class routine.

10 minutes 3 sources

Open guide

Winter, collision

Ice Hockey

Concussion, hip and groin strains, shoulder injuries, and knee sprains define girls' ice hockey. This guide covers concussion recognition, adductor strength, and a 10-minute off-ice warm-up.

10 minutes 2 sources

Open guide