The coach of my daughter’s soccer team says she’s on the bench for a week with a noncontact injury. What does that mean?

Injuries can occur as a result of overuse or trauma. Overuse or overtraining is an example of a noncontact injury. The player develops a sore shoulder or tendinitis that keeps them out of the game.

Traumatic injuries are most often caused by direct contact with another player. Noncontact injuries can be caused by trauma, too. For example the player who changes direction suddenly on a muddy field and tears the anterior cruciate ligament in her knee — that’s a noncontact traumatic injury.

Sometimes a sudden increase in training time can lead to an increased number of noncontact injuries. Returning to training or game play too soon after an injury can also lead to re-injury. If possible find out the cause of your daughter’s injury. She can work with the coach and trainer to design a training program for her specific needs and avoid future injuries.