Back in day we played sports year round but not the same sport. According to the season we played football. basketball, baseball and track. We did not have even good trainers and few of us were aware of free weights. We did not have cars (well a few) so we walked or most likely ran everywhere on the very steep terrain of westcentral Pennsylvania. When we weren't on foot; we rode our "one-speed" bicycles (AKA coasters). I don't recall a single knee issue for anyone. We developed strong legs the natural way, not from leg presses, leg extensions, or squats. There is a lot to be said for running hills. It worked for Walter Peyton and Jerry Rice. I think it is a natural way to build leg strength and endurance.
In my day it was the same and playing more than one sport might be the key. But the players we talk about on the Boneyard are elite players, attempting to do things, to play at a level we only dreamed of. Perhaps the more you are asked to do might also contribute to problem. I played sports for years in the 1950s snd 1960s and never saw an acl injury. Of course we also saw very, very few victories. Coaching competitive travel club softball in the 1980s to present, I saw plenty of over use injuries among young athletes far better than anyone I played with, especially rotary cuffs.
Just what I was thinking! We were outside running around or playing pickup games from sunrise to sunset.....Throw away the phones and I Pads, and throw some sports equipment out in the yard....they will figure out what to do with it.
Walking five miles barefoot through three feet snow to get to gym helped too.
At half time of one of the AAC games a UConn Med Center Ortho Md spoke about the issues. He stated that playing long time, year around, and more was certain to cause injuries. It was IF it was WHEN.
No not bare foot but that 3 miles in and 3 miles home on foot was accurate, the snow was often plowed, but not always, our Gym was the Town Hall -hall. Listening to the telephone pole hum at 60 cycle in that cold as I passed by--
Just joking but I can relate to your story. I especially remember the no pads tackle football we played at each other's birthday, the birthday boy getting to be captain. Not a single broken bone but plenty of bruises. Our parents never said a word and fixed burgers and hot dogs. It didn't translate. As seniors in high school, we lost every football and basketball game, admittedly the smallest high school playing in the state's highest division.
Soccer is far harder on knees, I think. And it probably is more about bad luck. The more you play the bigger the chances of an injury. Like we say in business, it's the cost of...
I thought that was taken for granted.
No, but most school days weather permitting I jogged downhill to school and ran back up hill to our home. Run until gassed and then slowly jogged until second wind and then run again. We lived on ridge and it was 2.5 miles to the high school. Going was easy after practice was hard and not some old man's fantasy. Most of us that played sports did the same. We wanted to earn real trophies, not participation trophies.
My favorite participation story. My granddaughter pitched for a competitive 12U team but had been held back having broken her pitching arm in a skiing accident. Three days earlier, with her team in danger of losing, she told the coach to warm her up and she went in and blew them away. Next game she started, averaging 8 pitches an inning and fielding hot grounders. Coach took her out so as not to risk injury. After the relief pitcher walked three batters, the opposing coach rushed on the field, red-faced and screaming, "Put that first girl back in. I don't care if she strikes everyone out, my girls paid good money to play competitive ball, not win a participation trophy."
Was going to respond in a similar manner but needed to chase some +=/%&$ kids off my lawn.
Nothing but nothing beats cross training. Kids today would be better advised to diversify their training.
But it was the 20 miles to school, uphill, both ways, that made the big difference.
