ACL Injuries in Female Athletes: Finally, Someone’s Paying Attention
ACL Injuries in Female Athletes: Finally, Someone’s Paying Attention. When my daughter was 13, I found a local trainer, organized ACL injury prevention sessions, passed out research, and helped implement a warm-up program for her soccer team. These were exercises scientifically shown to reduce ACL injuries—especially in girls. It was free. It was fast. It was easy. At first, everyone said they were supportive. But no one truly prioritized it. The coach didn’t require it. Parents didn’t ask about it. And when the girls started complaining, the whole thing fizzled out after a few weeks.
It was disappointing—but not unusual.
Injury Isn’t The End. She’s Not Broken. She’s Becoming.
The truth is, this isn’t about blaming anyone. Parents, coaches, and athletes are juggling so much. And when it comes to ACL injuries, there’s still a lot we’re trying to figure out. From early sports specialization to neuromuscular development, to hormonal fluctuations and structural differences—there’s no single cause. But that’s exactly why it matters that we start paying closer attention.
Now, thankfully, the people with the biggest platforms are finally doing just that. FIFA is funding a major study at Kingston University in London to investigate the link between menstrual cycles and ACL injuries in female athletes—a connection experts have suspected for years but never thoroughly studied.
This could be the moment that changes everything.
Because ACL injuries aren’t just common in girls’ sports—they’re epidemic.
JuJu Watkins. Tierna Davidson. Georgia Amoore. Just in the last few months, three of the most promising female athletes in basketball and soccer have torn their ACLs. They’re not outliers. Studies show that girls are 3 to 6 times more likely to suffer ACL tears than boys. Some data puts that number closer to 8 times.
How Can Your Child Stay at the Top of Their Game Without Burning Out This Summer
JuJu—an electric guard at USC—went down during March Madness. One minute she was chasing a title, the next, a long road to recovery.
Tierna Davidson—an Olympic veteran and leader for Gotham FC—tore her ACL again this spring. The timing may cost her a spot on the Olympic roster.
Georgia Amoore—drafted just weeks ago by the WNBA’s Washington Mystics—tore hers in practice before playing a single pro game.
For every JuJu or Georgia, there are thousands of girls across America in clinics and gyms, quietly rebuilding what was lost.
So what’s the point of this piece? Why should a busy sports parent read and share it?
Because we need to stop accepting this as inevitable.
Yes, ACL injuries are complex. But they are not mysterious. Experts like Dr. Holly Silvers-Granelli have been sounding the alarm for years, calling for science-backed prevention programs. Coaches like Emma Hayes have pushed for research specific to female physiology, not one-size-fits-all protocols designed for male athletes.
And now, finally, there’s momentum.
This article isn’t just a warning—it’s a demand. A demand for the science to take women’s issues seriously. A demand for parents to ask better questions. For coaches to add 15 minutes of prevention to warm-ups. For clubs to take real steps, not lip service.
Start small:
- Ask your coach or club director what their injury prevention plan is. If they don’t have one, that’s saying something.
- Share this article in your team group chat.
- Send your club links to proven ACL prevention programs (we’ve listed a few below).
- Normalize talking about menstrual cycles and injury risk—it’s not taboo, it’s science.
Most of all, don’t wait until your daughter is on crutches to realize this matters.
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