Page 7 - Safe Wrestling

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The Importance of Injury-Preventive

Behaviour in Youth Sport

Matej Plevnik and Matej Ipavec

© 2026 Matej Plevnik and Matej Ipavec
https://doi.org/10.26493/978-961-293-570-2.1

Introduction
In recent years, injury prevention in youth sport has gained increasing
attention as a central public health, educational, and ethical concern.
While organised sport provides substantial physical, psychological, and
social benefits for children and adolescents, a growing body of evidence
indicates that poorly managed training processes, early specialisation,
and excessive competitive pressures may compromise these benefits and
increase the risk of injury, burnout, and long-term disengagement from
physical activity (Soligard et al., 2016; Emery & Pasanen, 2019). These
concerns are particularly relevant in sports characterised by physical
contact and high mechanical demands, such as wrestling and other com-
bat sports.
Epidemiological data consistently demonstrate that injury rates in
youth sport remain substantial, with contact and collision sports ac-
counting for a disproportionate share of both acute and overuse injuries
(Rössler et al., 2014). In wrestling, injuries frequently involve the shoul-
der complex, knee joint, cervical spine, and upper extremities, reflecting
the sport’s reliance on gripping, throwing, rotational loading, and close
body contact (Pocecco et al., 2013; Snyder et al., 2024). Although recent
surveillance data suggest a gradual decline in certain categories of youth
wrestling injuries, the overall burden remains high, and injury patterns
continue to raise concerns regarding long-term musculoskeletal health
and athlete safety (Snyder et al., 2024).
Importantly, injuries sustained during childhood and adolescence
may have consequences that extend beyond the immediate period of
sport participation. Early injuries have been associated with altered mo-

Plevnik, M., & Dobnik, M. (2026). Safe wrestling.
University of Primorska Press.