Book: Warrior Girls by Michael Sokolove

While I was lending half an ear to the controversy about the age of the Chinese Olympic female gymnastic team, I discovered a very interesting book about sports injury rates sustained by women athletes.

Michael Sokolove presents a fascinating piece of investigating journalism about an under-reported epidemic; why do women athletes seem to get injured more often than their male counterpart. The numbers are impressive. According to his investigation, young women playing soccer at a competitive level are eight times more likely to rupture their ACL (a stabilizing ligament in the front of the knee) than their male counterparts. The numbers are as high for concussions and other injuries in a wide variety of other sports. The question he asks is why?
Naturally the answer is far from obvious. Sokolove explores the several leads such as the lack of cross-training for young athletes (kids are being pushed to specialized in a single sport as early as grade school), the gruesome schedule they submit themselves to (year-long seasons, playing for school and club teams) and of course the incredible amount of money at stake (from Ivy League college admission selection process to specialized tournament sponsored by the usual suspects).

A good portion of the book is also dedicated on understanding the state of research around female athletes' injuries, particularly when it comes to ruptures of the ACL.

Sokolove never questions if women are capable of the same athletic performances as men, nor does he question the benefits of sports for anybody. His thoughtful and rather thought provoking book challenges the rather obsessive culture we have created about children sport. Reminding us that exercise and sports are not the same thing, the author raises the hypothesis that competitive sports can be detrimental to a healthy body. He relates the story of young soccer players who have their 4th or 5th knee surgery before the age of 20, forced to 'retire' before they leave college with debilitating knee pains.

The book also reminded me of a few injuries I have sustained as a competitive fencer but also of a few injuries I see regularly in my practice. Over-training is definitely a big issue in a society where nuance and moderation are secondary values. I cannot emphasize enough the need for anybody to factor rest time as part of their program whether training for a triathlon or to be a massage therapist.

This book is fascinating and written in a page turning style. I highly recommend it to anybody with children involved in sports (boy or girls) or anyone interested in the socio-economical role sport is playing in our society.

Keep moving!


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Warrior Girls by Michael Sokolove
Simon & Schuster (June 3, 2008)
ISBN: 978-0743297554