Turning out Soccer Players
The game of soccer, otherwise known as football, is a very popular sport played worldwide. Soccer’s growing popularity brings a rise in injuries, particularly to the knees. Is there a role we could play as Pilates practitioners to assist this special population?
Interestingly, soccer and ballet share similar body positions for kicking and running. While ballet dancers learn these positions early, minimizing injury risk, soccer players often lack this foundation. Young ballet dancers receive extensive training in proper body alignment, soccer players on the other hand lack this focus leading to potential problems as the game intensifies. Soccer coaches can take a leaf from a ballet instructor’s notebook and the Pilates repertoire by introducing specific exercises into their training regime that would address strength and flexibility while taking the time to consider how to execute proper movement, body positions and alignment. With less injury, the athletes will move to a higher level within themselves and in the game.
It was from watching play after play waiting for the players to grab at their hamstrings, quadriceps or the renowned anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), their faces racked with pain as they clutched at the useless knee that triggered my mind to question their basic body positions compared to a dancers’ basic ballet positions or even the planes of movement we utilize in our Pilates teaching. Could soccer players be trained to use their bodies in the basic ballet positions in some areas of their game.?
The ACL injury is the bane of the modern professional footballer. An anatomical theory must be addressed to safely put the kind of ballistic force on the knee joint that is needed to move a ball at a pace over sixty yards, or the torque that must be involved in being able to pass the ball anywhere in a hundred and eighty degree arc no matter where the hips are facing. Kicking the ball involves the entire body including rotation and reciprocal motor control. Inertia is unquestionably prevalent during the entire game, which leads us to think about arthrokinematics and its’ newly recognized relevance.
The knee joint is particularly vulnerable in soccer due to the constant stress of kicking, changing directions, and absorbing impacts. The basic kick in soccer is with the instep, the leg in a straight line from the knee down, and the ball being driven off the laces of the soccer boot. The kick is therefore done in a very “ballet like” position requiring flexibility of the hip joint. Do soccer coaches teach this or acknowledge what it takes to achieve this body position, or the years involved in training and stretching, or even that turn out is initiated in the hip joint and not the ankle or the knee?
Early ballet training teaches the dancers to execute their steps or movements in a manner that assists in achieving the required technique and aesthetic qualities involved in their discipline. Fewer injuries will occur with correct training. There are eight body positions used in most methods of ballet. The most common positions taken from the balletic body positions used in soccer are the following: croisé devant (crossed in front), enface (hips facing to the front) and effacé (sideways, eclipse, shaded). Using these positions, it is quite simple to perform, the movements of a Battement Tendu, Battement Dégagé or Grand Battement. These are also the body positions used for kicking and running after the ball in soccer. Though players do run and pass the ball sideways and backwards it is primarily a forward (en avant) playing sport, corresponding to ballet, where the majority of moves are directed towards an audience.
Why then can we not incorporate the same training from our Pilates repertoire? Surely some of us do. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could get entire teams to train in Pilates, whether junior, pre professional of professional? Coaches would need to be approached and willing to participate. The players would need to be willing to participate in a manner that could present the association between the two disciplines.
Pilates practitioners can assess individual weaknesses and imbalances, creating targeted exercise programs. There is so much to choose from whether on the equipment or not. Footwork, Feet in Straps, Mermaid, Standing Hip Stretch, just to name a few, and that is merely some examples on the Reformer. I clearly remember whilst training with both Polestar Pilates and Lolita San Miguel in Puerto Rico, playing with the Standing Series /Splits in all the body directions just for fun as most of us had a dancing background. Could some of these theories and examples be points to consider when evaluating injury risks and causes?
It is important to note that pushing for too much rotation can be as detrimental as too little. The teacher or coach must initially evaluate the dancer’s and player’s natural turnout to better understand their limitations and imbalances. This is much like we do in Pilates with our screening. Assessing the situation first will guide the teachers, coaches and practitioners in selecting the correct exercises. regardless of the direction of the movement as a tremendous amount of stress is placed on the ligaments and muscles in and surrounding the knee.
The area of most danger to the soccer player is the knee, whether due to the force of kicking the ball, tackles, alignment, or an incorrect body position. The knee is a synovial modified hinge joint. We are all familiar with the muscles, tendons, and ligaments of the knee and what maintains the stability of the joint, including the anterior and posterior ligaments. The anterior ligament prevents hyperextension of the knee, and the posterior ligament prevents the femur from sliding off the tibia. When the knee is flexed, these ligaments loosen and allow slight medial rotation. The quadriceps and the iliotibial band also play a part in stabilizing and keeping the knee straight anteriorly, thus requiring strengthening exercises easily acquired through Pilates training. It is not surprising that most injuries occur in the medial compartment or anterior cruciate ligaments. One cannot help but believe this is due to a cumulative effect, however, can we consider that the kicking leg is also suffering from the shear force and body position during the kick?
Could we as practitioners encourage coaches to be more observant in possible deficiencies in technique, lack of fitness, incorrect leg and body positions, muscle imbalance, and measures of strength in all muscle groups? I am sure some coaches are proficient in these areas, but a deeper awareness could be made. A working knowledge of the mechanics of the leg is essential for all of us. The diversity of Pilates exercises can keep the training fresh and fun at the same time.
There are a few other areas where soccer coaches can invest to help avoid serious knee injury in conjunction with this proposed addition to their training regimen. Wearing cleats that are too long for the surface on which a game is played is a well-known factor in causing knee injury. A thought to ponder is the wearing of loose-fitting uniforms. This presents another problem for the coaches, as they are unable to see the correct alignment of the leg clearly to the hip joint, and further up the spine, albeit loose fitting uniforms maximize the freedom of movement. Dancers traditionally wear tight fitting tights and leotards that allow a view of how the entire leg and body is working. This allows dancers to also have a maximized freedom of movement in their practice clothing but oddly enough at times, do not have the freedom during performance.
The width of a person’s hips and the angle of the femur may also influence the soccer player’s proneness to injury. Female soccer players, dancers, and female athletes exhibit the latter variants more often than men and are therefore more prone to knee injuries. This could be due to several reasons including the ligaments supporting the angle of the femur, lax ligaments during puberty, and body changes during menstruation. Female soccer players may also be more prone to arthritis in the knee joints in later life due to additional stresses during pregnancy and hormonal fluctuation.
In conclusion, by incorporating Pilates principles and exercises into soccer training, coaches can potentially create a well-rounded training program that fosters strong, resilient players less susceptible to injuries. This collaboration between Pilates practitioners and soccer coaches has the potential to significantly improve player well-being and longevity in the sport. Perhaps with the correct information and the willingness to strive to improve the risks of injury, soccer coaches just might be able to “turn out” better and stronger players.
Heidi Wright is a Master Teacher in the genres of Pilates and Ballet. She has been an International and residential guest instructor, lecturer, practitioner and published writer in both genres since 1992 and is a graduate in Pilates Mat, Allegro, Studio and Post Rehabilitation with Polestar Pilates and with Pilates elder Lolita San Miguel. She is NCPT and a member of the PMA.