Seven Pillars of Prevention: Effective Strategies for Strength and Conditioning Coaches to Reduce Injury Risk and Improve Performance in Young Athletes

Strength and conditioning provision for young athletes offers unique challenges and opportunities for coaches. Periods of rapid and nonuniform growth in skeletal structures can result in temporary reductions in athletic performance and heightened injury risk. Despite the increased risk of injury in young athletes, surprisingly, there is often a lack of adherence to injury prevention programs, despite a compelling body of evidence showing their effectiveness. Thus, clearer guidelines on how to best implement targeted interventions that maximize performance adaptations and minimize logistical constraints are likely beneficial for increasing their successful adoption in the field. In this article, we describe 7 pillars that provide practitioners with evidence-based and practically viable strategies that can be used effectively to reduce injury risk and increase performance in young athletes.