<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<bold>Aim</bold>: Balance training can help reduce the frequency of ankle joint injuries in adults, but data on young girls is relatively scant.
<bold>Methods</bold>: Out of 91 female basketball players (7-16 years), 40 players were assigned to an experimental balance training group, and 51 players were assigned to a control group. Both groups performed their typical basketball training but the experimental group performed additional balance-focused exercises during the warm-up of their basketball training sessions.
<bold>Results</bold>: A total of 47 girls (52 %) reported at least one ankle joint injury in their entire basketball history (52.5 % in the experimental, 50.9% in the control group). There was a positive correlation between the number of ankle joint injuries and age before the experiment (r = 0.34, p &lt; 0.001). During the 12-month study period, girls who participated in balance training suffered significantly fewer ankle joint injuries than the control group (χ2 = 3.8423, df = 1, p-value &lt; 0.05). Increased risk for ankle joint injury in the future was confirmed according to logistic regression for girls with previous ankle joint injury in history (4.33 times) and girls who did not participate in the balance training program (3.97 times).
<bold>Conclusions:</bold> A progressive, barefoot balance training program that is simple and short enough to be performed during normal warm-ups can reduce the likelihood of suffering an ankle joint injury in young girls basketball players, which may be useful for athletes in other sports as well.
</abstract>

Aim: Balance training can help reduce the frequency of ankle joint injuries in adults, but data on young girls is relatively scant.
Methods: Out of 91 female basketball players (7-16 years), 40 players were assigned to an experimental balance training group, and 51 players were assigned to a control group. Both groups performed their typical basketball training but the experimental group performed additional balance-focused exercises during the warm-up of their basketball training sessions.
Results: A total of 47 girls (52 %) reported at least one ankle joint injury in their entire basketball history (52.5 % in the experimental, 50.9% in the control group). There was a positive correlation between the number of ankle joint injuries and age before the experiment (r = 0.34, p < 0.001). During the 12-month study period, girls who participated in balance training suffered significantly fewer ankle joint injuries than the control group (χ2 = 3.8423, df = 1, p-value < 0.05). Increased risk for ankle joint injury in the future was confirmed according to logistic regression for girls with previous ankle joint injury in history (4.33 times) and girls who did not participate in the balance training program (3.97 times).
Conclusions: A progressive, barefoot balance training program that is simple and short enough to be performed during normal warm-ups can reduce the likelihood of suffering an ankle joint injury in young girls basketball players, which may be useful for athletes in other sports as well.

12 Months of Balance Training Decreases Ankle-Joint Injury Frequency in Young Girl Basketball Players

Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, Department of Physiotherapy

Acta Facultatis Educationis Physicae Universitatis Comenianae

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Aim: Balance training can help reduce the frequency of ankle joint injuries in adults, but data on young girls is relatively scant.
Methods: Out of 91 female...

12 Months of Balance Training Decreases Ankle-Joint Injury Frequency in Young Girl Basketball Players

Published Online: Oct 30, 2021

Page range: 214 - 227

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/afepuc-2021-0018

Keywords
ankle sprain, female, instability, school age players, sensorimotor exercises

© 2021 T. Nováková et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

12 Months of Balance Training Decreases Ankle-Joint Injury Frequency in Young Girl Basketball Players

Published Online: Oct 30, 2021

Page range: 214 - 227

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/afepuc-2021-0018

Keywordsankle sprain, female, instability, school age players, sensorimotor exercises

© 2021 T. Nováková et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Keywords
ankle sprain, female, instability, school age players, sensorimotor exercises