The FIFA 11+ Kids Injury Prevention Program: Awareness, Implementation, and Opinion of Children’s Football (Soccer) Coaches

Abstract

The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) 11+ Kids Injury Prevention Program was developed and shown to effectively reduce football-related injuries in numerous studies. The aim of this study was to assess the awareness, implementation, and opinion of children’s football coaches worldwide regarding the FIFA 11+ Kids Injury Prevention Program efficacy using a self-administered questionnaire. Six hundred children’s football coaches were invited through their local Football Federations to complete the online survey consisted of questions relating to awareness, implementation, and coaches’ opinions of the FIFA 11+ Kids Injury Prevention Program. A total of 486 children’s soccer coaches completed the survey. The survey was available in different languages. A total of 202 (41.6%) of the children’s football coaches reported awareness of the FIFA 11+ Kids Injury Prevention Program and 155 (31.9%) reported implementing the FIFA 11+ Kids Injury Prevention Program in their current practice. Participants who reported implementation of the FIFA 11+ Kids Injury Prevention Program also reported a positive attitude towards program efficacy, with a score of 8.19±0.88 out of 10. To conclude, there is a need for further efforts and research to increase international awareness and implementation of the FIFA 11+ Kids Injury Prevention Program.