Medical practitioners from across Southern Ontario converged on the Oshawa Civic Recreational Complex last week to learn about the FIFA 11+ program.

The day kicked off with a dynamic presentation from Dr. Darrell Ogilvie Harris from the University Health Network who provided graphic video content to put into context the importance of injury prevention with a particular focus on ACL injuries and rehabilitation.

The attendees then got to see the FIFA 11+ in action as an Oshawa Kicks squad of female players demonstrated each technique under the leadership of Club Athletic Trainer Geneva Winterink.

The Club have been running the FIFA 11+ program for about three years and Club Head Coach John Belzner has been happy with the results. Coach Belzner addressed the attendees in the afternoon to explain the steady integration of the program into the Club as a whole from Board buy-in to Coach delivery.

The afternoon saw the 42 delegates work in small groups to discuss the use of FIFA 11+ in their own practices and as an opportunity to build relationships with local soccer clubs in their community.

In collaboration with Bone and Joint Canada, the Ontario Soccer Association has been able to reach out extensively to medical professionals (chiropractors, kinesiologists and physiotherapists) to raise awareness of the program and how it can help improve player performance and reduce injuries. Delegates also benefited from a presentation on the Play Safe Initiative; an injury tracking tool developed by staff at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto.

The FIFA 11+ is a complete warm-up program to reduce injuries among male and female football players aged 14 years and older. The program was developed by an international group of experts, and its effectiveness has been proven in a scientific study.

Teams that performed the FIFA 11+ at least twice a week had 30-50 per cent fewer injured players. Extensive resources can be found at: FIFA 11+