In sports that place great pressure on the knees, especially with twisting forces, it is common to tear one or more ligaments or cartilages. An increasingly common victim to injury is the anterior cruciate ligament or “ACL”. The ACL is often torn as a result of a rapid direction change while running or some other, violent twisting motion. The ACL can also be torn by extending the knee forcefully beyond its normal range.

Other structures of the knee may also damaged together with the ACL. A particularly severe example involves the “unhappy triad” of torn MCL, ACL, and medial meniscus. The unhappy triad typically arises from a combination of inwards forcing and twisting of the knee.

Work on your landings. Whether you’re jumping on a basket – ball court or bounding across a tennis court, your knees are at risk if you don’t have the strength to decelerate the load – that load being you.
I don’t think there’s enough emphasis placed on our ability to bring our bodies to a controlled stop direction of speed, strength, and conditioning at the College of the Canyons. If you plan on doing any type of explosive training – the kind needed for most sports – make landings part of your workouts for least a month.

Between sets of squats or other leg exercise, do five jumps on a semisoft surface, like a rubber – matted area in your gym.
1. Stand with your feet shoulder – width apart
2. Jump straight up
3. Then focus on landing with your knees bent, your shoulders slightly forward, and your butt and hips back
4. Try to land on the front two – thirds of your feet, with your heels just barely off the ground.

Progress to tuck jumps: Bring your knees up high toward your chest to make it harder to stick the landings.