How to Recognize and Treat Ankle Injuries in Youth Soccer

Soccer has one of the lowest injury rates of any youth sport. However, sports and injuries do, unfortunately, go hand in hand. With a little knowledge of safety and prevention, you can help your child reduce the likelihood of ankle injuries.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Splint
• Plenty Of Ice

1. Know the types of injuries. Ligament injuries - generally caused by rolling an ankle on the field - are treated with a cast and a crutch.

2. Beware of fractures. A broken ankle usually has a lot of swelling as well as disfiguration of the ankle joint. The foot may look obviously deformed.

3. Have someone check to see if the area beyond the break is getting enough blood. Take the pulse on the top of the midfoot and look for normal skin tone.

4. Get the player to the hospital if the ankle is broken and get medical help as quickly as possible if the blood flow is cut off.

5. Make sure a medical kit is kept on the sideline, with a splint to secure the extremity in the position in which it lies.

6. Apply ice to the injured area to control swelling.

Tips & Warnings

• Be thankful for youth. The younger the child, the easier it is to treat ligament injuries such as a twisted ankle.
• Know the risks. Ankle injuries are probably the most common type of injury in youth soccer.
• Make sure your child wears proper shoes. Longer cleats are good for wet, slippery fields, but they can increase the risk of injury on harder surfaces.
• Make sure your child wears shin guards with ankle protectors. A direct kick to an unprotected ankle can sideline your child for days or weeks.
• Make sure your child avoids uneven playing surfaces.
• Your child can strengthen the muscles around the ankle by doing controlled ankle rolls on a regular basis.
• Proper warm-up and stretching improve flexibility and help prevent injuries.

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