Injury Risk & Prevention in Soccer Players

Problem: Lower-extremity injuries (ACL tears, ankle sprains) bench soccer athletes for extended periods, affecting performance and career prospects. Background: Standard screening tools lack specificity for soccer’s rapid cutting, sprinting, and landing demands. Methods: We instrumented 25 collegiate players with thigh- and shank-mounted inertial sensors (100 Hz) during cutting, jump-landing, and deceleration drills. Key metrics—knee valgus angle, asymmetry indices—were extracted and visualized in a Tableau dashboard co-developed with coaching staff. Status/Preliminary Outcomes: Dashboard prototype and drill protocols are finalized; initial feedback from athletic trainers indicates the system’s promise for real-time movement correction. A formal intervention study is in planning. Implications: Wearable-sensor feedback integrated into warm-up routines may offer a scalable approach to reducing non-contact injury rates in soccer programs.