Body Parts / 4 lessons
Knee
Land, cut, and jump without wrecking your knees
- Start1Meet your knee
- How knee injuries happen
- Land like a pro
- Build strong knees
Unit notes
Everything this unit teaches, in writing. Open a lesson to read it, or play it for the quick questions and stars.
Matters most in: Basketball, Football, Volleyball, Running
Lesson 1Meet your knee
The bones, cushions, and ligaments that make your knee work.
Where two big bones meet
Your knee is where your thigh bone (femur) meets your shin bone (tibia).
Your kneecap (patella) sits in front of the joint and helps protect it.
The meniscus is a built-in cushion
Between the two bones are rubbery pads called the meniscus. They soak up shock when you run and land.
Ligaments hold it together
Ligaments are tough bands that connect bone to bone. The ACL is inside your knee. It stops your shin bone from sliding forward and twisting too far.
Another one, the MCL, runs along the inner side of your knee.
Lesson 2How knee injuries happen
The moves that put the most stress on your knee.
Most ACL tears happen without contact
A lot of ACL injuries happen when nobody touches you: a sudden stop, a quick cut to change direction, or landing badly from a jump.
Watch out for knees caving in
When your knees cave inward as you land or cut, it puts extra load on your knee. Doctors see this knock-kneed position as a risk for ACL tears.
Myth or fact?
- You can only tear your ACL if another player hits your knee. Myth. Many ACL tears happen with no contact at all, during cuts, stops, and landings.
- Girls who play sports like soccer and basketball have a higher chance of ACL tears. Fact. Girls tear their ACL more often than boys in the same sports. That's why knee training is extra important for them.
Lesson 3Land like a pro
The landing form that protects your knees.
Soft, quiet landings
Land softly, and bend your knees and hips to soak up the landing.
A soft landing is a quiet one, so listen for it. A loud thud means more force is going into your legs.
Knees over toes
Keep your knees over your toes, pointing the same way your toes point. Don't let them cave inward.
Myth or fact?
- Landing with straight, stiff legs is safest because your legs are strong. Myth. Landing with stiff, straight knees is a risk for ACL tears. Bending your knees and hips softens the landing.
Lesson 4Build strong knees
Warm-ups and strength that keep your knees safe.
Warm up by moving
Before you play, do a moving warm-up: light jogging, high knees, leg swings, and side shuffles.
Some teams use full injury prevention warm-ups that mix running, strength, jumping, and balance. They've been shown to cut down on knee injuries.
Strong hips, strong knees
The muscles around your hips and the back of your thighs (hamstrings) help keep your knees from caving in.
Exercises like squats, lunges, glute bridges, and side planks build them.
Balance is training too
Standing on one leg, or catching a ball while balancing on one leg, trains your balance and body control. Knee injury prevention programs include balance work like this.
Myth or fact?
- Holding long stretches right before a game is the best way to prevent injuries. Myth. Stretching can be part of a warm-up, but start by moving. Warm-ups that add strength, jumping, and balance are what research shows lowers knee injuries.
- Injury prevention warm-ups only work if you do them once in a while. Myth. They work best when you do them at least 2 to 3 times a week, all season long, every year.