The quad pull in youth soccer is happening more often. One reason is the large amount of games being played. Games take a lot of running, jumping, stopping, kicking, turning, quick change of direction. The body can handle all of this, but when there are multiple games per week or too many tournaments it starts to take toll. Other reasons could be excessive fitness, dehydration, 2 sports in 1 season, too short of a warm-up, weak core and leg muscles. Not that the player is weak, just that the body needs a little strength training at home. Below I have listed how the injury happens, but also how to help prevent it as well as how to recover from it. You’ll also learn how long it last depending on the severity of the pull.
“Kicking with power irritates the quad more than anything, so be careful.”
Exercises to strengthen your quad
The coolest thing about your muscles are they will literally get stronger by the day…
You just have to put in the work.
2 ways to strengthen your quad [no equipment]:
- 1 leg balance bends: Notice you won’t bend down very much. Great for your quad and knee. It’s low impact and easy on the muscle and joints, but is great for improving strength. Do this to rehab and prevent injuries.
- Wall sits: For preventing a quad pull or for when you are almost 100%. You don’t want to do wall sits at least until 3-4 days after a pull. First work on the lighter rehab like the video above.
10 day treatment plan for a quad pull
Rest, Ice, Compress & Elevate (R.I.C.E.) for the first 48 hours as well as eating healthy can help speed your recovery.
- Day 1: No Rehab! [RICE] Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation for 10-20 mins every hour. To compress use this elastic wrap while icing.
- Day 2: Ice, Compression, Elevation for 10-20 mins every 1-3 hours. If you have access to a licensed trainer/therapist do it, also use Electric Stem or Deep Heating Therapy. No strengthening for 2 days; just treat with ice and, if you can, e-stem.
- Days 3-4: Rehab the injury and other muscles around it including quad, core, hips, hamstring on the 3rd day (for up to 3 weeks). Usually you can be better in a week or two.
- Day 5: Rehab the injury the same as days 3 & 4. But also add in a 10 minute jog along with some extra core work.
- Day 6: Rehab exercises to keep strengthening along with a 20 minute jog, backwards running, & side shuffles. Include the Ball with some dribbling – no sprinting or quick change of speed yet. Also include small passes for 5 minutes.
- Days 7-10: You can tell better than anyone at this point how you feel. Each day add a few more intense soccer training drills, starting off slow. For example, instead of jogging and light change of direction, add in some short 70% sprints. When you start passing the ball, remember to keep your core tight because it helps the quads. Don’t hit a ball 100% until you have first made sure you can sprint 100%. This is because the long ball striking is going to be the last thing you want to do when coming off a quad pull. Once you can do all of this, you can join a full team practice.
My experience with the quad injury
As a player I personally never pulled my quad and really, I didn’t play with too many people who did either but it does happen.
As a Trainer, working with youth players year round, I haven’t seen many of the quad pulls.
I have seen players pull up with a tightness or a light tweak, where they are good to play the next day but they felt something.
The times I have seen this injury is from a player who had a lot of game play the weekend before.
Side note: Athletes who run track are also at more risk due to all of the running from 2 sports that involve intense muscle use.
Who is the player position at more risk?
Strikers/Forwards are going to be more at risk because they often strike the ball with as much power as they can… More than any other position.
Midfielders would be #2 at risk because they run and cover more ground than any other position. Mids also handle the ball more than most, so all that adds up.
How to prevent quad pull
- Warm up good & stretch before you start kicking the ball around. Most players, youth and adults, go straight to the pitch and start pinging balls around before they warm up. Most of the time you won’t get injured doing this but if you make it a habit then one day it will pull.
- Be careful playing too many games in a short amount of time. Especially in extreme conditions [super hot or cold].
- Keep your Abdominals Strong. If you have weak abs, you’re making the quads work more than they need to, which in time could cause a pull.
- Keep the hamstring & hips strong so that the quads are protected. You want to keep muscles around other muscles strong so that they are well balanced.
Make sure you are not doing too much shooting / ball striking because this will cause Quad Pull or irritation. You have to know how to balance your training! - Heat Pad on the quad before practice. You can do this while driving in the car to practice. Especially during tournaments,pre-season or end of the season matches make sure you take extra care of your body.
- Eat Healthy so you can recover as fast as possible. A Quad pull is usually going to be from overuse – not just a one day session. Recovery fits into the injury prevention basket. Protein is going to fuel your muscles and Carbs are going to give you energy so that your muscles aren’t working as hard as they need to with proper diet.
How long does the injury last?
You’re looking at 1 week up to 3 weeks, depending on how severe…
Also how fast your body recovers, but most will last 10 days or less. Some people recover faster due to genetics & some due to better treatment.
If you don’t treat the injury with the correct exercises and therapy you won’t recover as fast.
Remember, if your injury was severe then you need to follow what your doctor says – don’t follow this list.
This list is for the more common pull, which is not as severe usually.
If you can walk without pain on the 2nd & 3rd day it’s not severe. If it hurts only to jog or walk fast, you are probably going to be good.
You will notice improvement every day as long as you are treating it.
If it hurts to walk slow the day after injury you need to see a doctor and get in with a therapist because that is a more severe injury.
To speed recovery, make sure you are eating healthy.
Do some light strength training when you’re not in the heavy game/training season.
Warm up good for every game/practice.
Always keep your core strong and conditioned.
These simple things will help reduce many injuries.
How soccer players pull their quad
Shooting and driving long passes is what is going to give the quad most trouble.
This is the muscle that gives our “kick” the most power, along with your abdominal muscles [stomach].
When teaching shooting & finishing, I always am yelling for the kids to “keep your core tight.” Not only is it going to protect their quad, back and hips, but it will also give you a harder shot & pass.
When I ask players at any age, they don’t know what part of the body helps give the shot more power.
Even most high school varsity players don’t know the answer…
It’s not so much the calves or hamstrings, It’s the quads & the abdominals.
Don’t forget that [parents & coaches] because the players love to hear this wonderful news.
Meet one of my old youth coaches Ernie
I remember learning this secret from a club coach [Ernie] in high school.
His son Adrian was 1 year older than I was and grew up playing in the US youth national pool.
Playing at a high level made me respect Ernie even more. Ernie was a big part of his son’s success because of all the knowledge he passed down at a young age.
Even though Adrian was the smallest player, he could kick the ball harder than anyone.
The powerful kick came from great technique and the secret of keeping the core tight while striking the ball.
He was by far one of the most technical players I ever played with or against growing up.
The only thing that kept him from staying on the national team past U-18 and playing at a big college was his strength and aggression.
Being small is okay as long as you play aggressive.
If you’re going to be small you have to be extra good with the ball, aggressive or fast to make up for the size.
You also need a coach and other players around you that know how to use you.
Some of the best players in the world are tiny, but they are surrounded by other good players who can pass to feet.
The point of the story is that you need to know what part of the body helps strike the ball.
Again, contracting your core will give you more power and protect your quads.
*I am not a physician. I am not licensed to diagnose or treat injuries. Always consult your MD with questions.
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