Protect young girls' knees

We're not talking knee pads here -- serious knee injuries plague young female athletes. In a recent study on young girls ages 11 to 14, nearly one-third self-reported a recent soccer injury, and almost 45 percent said they'd been injured since starting the game.

Co-author Dr. John O'Kane recommends coaches invest in strength, flexibility and biomechanics training to prevent injuries. Parents need to be aware of the problem to lobby coaches for preventive measures, and refrain from pushing their daughters into an overuse injury.

Oftentimes, young athletes play multiple sports. Dr. O'Kane emphasized that coaches need to consider this fact and stop training them like women.