Stay Strong, Play Long
How to Prevent Overuse Injuries in Girls
You love your sport and you’re willing to work hard. But training non-stop without enough rest can lead to something called an overuse injury. These are injuries that build up slowly over time because your body doesn’t get enough time to heal between practices, games, and workouts.
The good news? You can totally prevent most overuse injuries if you train smart, listen to your body, and take care of yourself the right way.
What Even Is an Overuse Injury?
It’s not like rolling your ankle out of nowhere. Overuse injuries happen when you do the same movements too often, without enough rest. Your muscles, bones, or joints get tired and start to break down slowly.
Common overuse injuries in girl athletes:
Shin splints (pain in the front of your lower leg)
Stress fractures (tiny cracks in bones from repeated impact)
Runner’s knee (pain under or around the kneecap)
Tendonitis (sore tendons from overuse common areas are in the knees or shoulders)
Shoulder pain (especially in overhead sports)
Why Are Girls More at Risk?
Female athletes in high school deal with some extra challenges that make them more likely to get overuse injuries:
1. Growth Spurts
Your body changes a lot during puberty. Muscles, bones, and joints grow at different speeds, which can make movement feel awkward or throw off your balance.
2. Not Eating Enough
Some girls don’t eat enough to keep up with their training, especially during busy seasons. This can lead to low energy, weak bones, and missed periods—a combo that raises your injury risk.
3. Missing Periods
Not having a regular period can mean your body isn’t getting what it needs to stay healthy. It’s also a warning sign that your bones might be weaker than they should be.
4. Playing One Sport All Year
Only doing one sport (like soccer or gymnastics) year-round can overwork the same muscles and joints. Your body needs variety to stay balanced and avoid burnout.
6 Easy Ways to Stay Injury-FreE
Play More Than One Sport
Trying different sports helps your body move in new ways and avoids putting too much stress on the same spots. Adding in different forms of training is also helpful to keep your body strong!
Rest Is Part of Training
You need at least one or two full days off each week—and some full weeks off each year. Rest helps your muscles and bones rebuild. little rest = little progress.
Eat Enough—Seriously
Fuel your body with full meals and snacks. Don’t skip food during busy training seasons. Your body needs calcium, protein, and energy to grow and recover. You actually need to eat MORE when you are doing more. So when you are in season, you should be eating more than you usually do.
Train Smart
Learn how to land safely when you jump, and keep your hips, glutes, and core strong. This helps protect your knees and ankles, especially if you play a sport like basketball or soccer.
Listen to Pain
Pain that sticks around or gets worse is a warning sign. Speak up early—don’t wait until it’s so bad you can’t play.
Track Your Period
Having a regular period is a sign your body is healthy. If it’s irregular or missing, tell a doctor or trainer—it could be a sign that you’re not eating enough or training too hard.
Talk About It
You might feel pressure to be “tough” and stay quiet when something hurts. But talking to your coach, parent, or athletic trainer can stop a small issue from turning into a major injury.
Create a team where it’s normal to speak up—about pain, stress, periods, or anything else. Recovery starts with being honest about how you feel.
Final Thought: Train Smart, Not Just Hard
Overuse injuries don’t just hurt your body—they can take the fun out of your sport and hurt your confidence. But with the right support and knowledge, you can keep playing, improving, and loving your sport for years to come.
Know your body
Listen to your limits
Play for the long game
