Reader comments
Girl athletes hurt by lack of training

POOR HEADLINE | 8:11 a.m. Aug. 1, 2008

Shouldn't it read "female athletes?"

Former high school coach | 8:52 a.m. Aug. 1, 2008

As a former high school girl's soccer coach, I worked hard to apply the strategies mentioned in this article. Unfortunately, administrators are clueless as to the needs of the developing female athlete and don't consider this information when making decisions about hiring coaches for their girls' teams.

Ted | 9:18 a.m. Aug. 1, 2008

Training for what? Thank you very much Title IX, becuase if this lame ruling, we now have 60 women on the softball team and zero wrestlers.

Comments continue below

Anonymous | 10:55 a.m. Aug. 1, 2008

blah blah blah...the world is forcing square pegs into round holes with women's sports. Women really don't have the bodies, the physical strength, the physical structure to compete as men do. This isn't to say they can't compete, and that some sports work well for them, but overall, it's a forced match. Women have the "hips" problem, as they mature their pelvis widens placing unusual pressure on the knees (only if they are competing), the menstruation problem, which goes away when body fat gets too low. And they have the heel problem; female heels are shorter than men, so they get less lift, less speed, less force out of their legs.

So all this mumbo jumbo about insufficient training is just that, mumbo jumbo.

Female Athlete | 12:43 p.m. Aug. 1, 2008

Didn't the trib run a similar article a week ago???

There is a lack of resources for female athletes when it comes to training. Do you realize how many girls prep sports teams use the weight room on a regular basis? (Very few.) And how many of those teams have a good, scheduled weight program (probably none)?

Many of the female athletes overlook the weight room. They don't see or understand why its important. Maybe if schools hired coaches (in boys and girls sports) who new how properly train their athletes in a sport; there would be less injuries.

high school player | 2:17 p.m. Aug. 1, 2008

To say that girls are not in the weightroom is untrue in my case. Our coach has us in there september and october getting ready for the upcoming basketball season. Believe me when I say that our coach really works us. We do more circuit training but do go into the free weights every other week. The majority of the days we are on machines which helps with balance. Our team, over the years, has had it's share of knee problems but none in the last 4 since we've been doing our weights. I think you are right about the majority of teams but ours isn't one of them.

girls are not athletes like... | 4:13 p.m. Aug. 1, 2008

...boys are. Girls try to train like boys and their bodies break down with eating disorders and other injuries. Girls athletics have forced the female body beyond safe boundaries with the ever demanding requirements of club sports like soccer and basketball. Time to back off and let girls be girls.

Dr Don | 7:55 p.m. Aug. 1, 2008

"Time to back off and let girls be girls."

Ah yes. Barefoot, pregnant and in the kitchen, right?

"Training for what? Thank you very much Title IX, becuase if this lame ruling, we now have 60 women on the softball team and zero wrestlers."

And the problem with that is???????

re: Dr. Don | 8:28 p.m. Aug. 1, 2008

When the Lord gave out brains, you must have been absent. I am a male coach and so thanks everyday for Title 9!

Me a coach to | 6:44 a.m. Aug. 2, 2008

Hey re
You must have been right behind Dr Don.
So you are a male coach and how does that relate?
What do you coach? titily winks? Title IX was created to help the girls, it doesnt prevent a team from having a wrestling team.Schools have to decide if they want to spend the money on additional teams. Sounds like most schools dont want wrestling cause nobody cares about it.
Coach get a clue its about the lack of money or the inability of the sport to bring in enough money to support the sport.

to all | 6:58 a.m. Aug. 2, 2008

as a parent of a female athlete, she is beautiful, fun has a balance of life, as been a D-1 scholar athlete, works out in the gym today and see the need to stay in shape just like my boys...she has had the chance to see the world, made many friends, is stable, gainfully employed now, married with a little baby girl and married at age 24...late as a standard in Utah...we got here in sports when we moved to Utah to meet people, have something to do and it has been great...we have had three girls participate in high school sports and two in College and we have enjoyed our association with all of them...we also have two boys that have played athletics and title IX has never come up in our home and we all support each other and I hope that we are over that today...best of luck to all the boys and girls that wish to follow their dreams..

to: Me a coach to | 12:35 p.m. Aug. 2, 2008

High School Girls Basketball. I am saying that it should be about providing opportunities and growth and not about the money intake. And you coach what?

s utah volleyball player | 4:00 p.m. Aug. 2, 2008

our coach emphasises club for the girls that want to play at the next level or at least compete at the top for the HS level. he also puts us in the weight room and strongly advises us to enroll in the girls weight training class. those of us that do have really improved our strength and play.
go tigers....

Knee injuries | 5:15 p.m. Aug. 2, 2008

I find the theory stated here interesting, though I'm not convinced yet. I can say that I have seen a tremendous amount of girls blowing out their knees. I heard that from Riverton High alone there were 3 or 4 girls that tore up their knees in college. Too many from one school to be a coincidence. I may be wrong but I heard that Riverton doesn't push weight training for the girls. Maybe there's a connection.

interesting | 8:13 p.m. Aug. 2, 2008

This article definitely makes sense. I'm a girl athlete and I have to take twice the amount of vitamins and supplements as my brothers do so that I will stay injury free. Girls for sure don't have some of the things (as far as the body goes) that guys do that enables them to be successful athletes, but that doesn't mean they can't work just as hard and be just as successful.

re: knee injuries 8/2/08 | 7:47 a.m. Aug. 5, 2008

You stated you may be wrong and you are. Also, just as you said the girls you are referencing blew out knees in college-not at riverton high. I know for a fact that weights and cross training are extensively used by the girls baseketball team!
-coach ence

Train at Velocity! | 10:33 a.m. Aug. 6, 2008

If any of these girls want to learn how to jump and land correctly, move laterally and run correctly to avoid knee and other injuries, then they need to start training at places like Velocity Sports Performance. The best way to prevent all these injuries is to train against them and that is what they do at Velocity. I have a 9th grade girl that plays volleyball and runs track, and she has been training at Velocity and has learned how to properly move athletically so she reduces the likelihood of injury. You all need to check this place out; it's in Lehi.

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