KIPP for Coaches
Did you know girls are up to 6 times more likely than boys to suffer a serious knee injury playing sports like soccer and basketball? Each year in the United States over 20,000 high school girls suffer serious sports-related knee ligament injuries. These injuries frequently require surgery, months of rehabilitation, and prolonged time away from sports.
To address this concern, the Institute for Sports Medicine at Children’s Memorial Hospital has designed KIPP for Coaches, a tool to help coaches reduce the risk of knee injuries in their female athletes. KIPP for Coaches is a 15-minute warm-up routine of total body strengthening exercises, plyometrics, balance training, agility drills, and active stretching. This specific combination of exercises has been shown to reduce the risk of knee ligament injuries and improve athletic performance.
With funding from Children’s Memorial Research Center and Office of Child Advocacy, KIPP for Coaches was implemented in the fall of 2006 as part of an injury-prevention and research project at Chicago public high schools. After just two years, the program has reached over 50 schools and 1,800 soccer and basketball athletes. Preliminary results demonstrate a 50% reduction in knee injuries and coach feedback has been very positive...
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“This was one of the most productive workshops that I have ever attended.”
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“This dynamic warm-up is excellent and the framework provided is great.”
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“As the season progressed, the team got stronger as witnessed through their kicks and running.”
How can coaches at my school learn how to implement KIPP?
The Institute for Sports Medicine offers an interactive, two-hour training session for coaches that can be conducted at your school. At this training session, coaches receive photo cards of the KIPP exercises and an instructional DVD. At the session, coaches learn how to:
- Recognize risk factors associated with serious knee injuries
- Incorporate KIPP exercises into their team’s typical warm-up routine
- Instruct athletes how to recognize unsafe knee positions and improve muscle control
Your school may also be able to provide continuing education credits to coaches who participate.
If you would like more information on KIPP or would like to arrange for a coach training session at your school, please contact the Institute for Sports Medicine at 773.327.1201.