As I prepare to present at an ACL Symposium with some of my colleagues this weekend, I thought I would share some of the information I am presenting on injury prevention.

Research consistently shows that neuromuscular training is beneficial in reducing ACL injuries.  This type of training hinges on training our athletes to land, plant and cut on a bent knee while shifting the COM (center of mass) forward.  Too many times, I see female athletes land with stiff knees in an upright posture relying too heavily on their quads.

Emphasizing hip and knee flexion is vital in order to activate the posterior chain and provided a restraint to anterior tibial translation.  When it comes to landing and plyometrics, I feel strongly that we need to focus on repetitive drills that enhance power and teach ideal form.

These exercises should include single and double leg varieties, but more importantly they should challenge the body in the sagittal, coronal and transverse plane.  I have included a short video today that illustrates just a few exercises that I incorporate in my training sessions.

Stay tuned as I will share more details about prevention training in future posts.