Enhancing performance and sport injury prevention in disability sport: moving forwards in the field of football

According to the WHO, approximately 15.6% of the world population live with some form of disability, including 70 million children world-wide aged between 15 and 18 years.1 The benefits of exercise for individuals living with disability have been highlighted in the literature,2 and participation in team sports, such as football, provides additional benefits (such as facilitating social inclusion, creating peer group networks and challenging perceived social stereotypes). While prevention of injury is an important issue for all athletes, the impact of a sporting injury to an individual with a disability may severely affect their ability to function independently on a daily basis. For example, an athlete with a lower limb amputation who sustains a major injury such as an ACL and osteochondral injury could suffer long-term health consequences. In addition, gaining access to healthcare services and rehabilitation may be more challenging for individuals with a disability.3 Given the many health and social benefits of sporting participation in the disabled population and the …