RICHMOND, Va. (February 11, 2026) - Dr. Drew Watson, the ECNL's Chief Medical Advisor and Director of the ECNL Center for Athlete Health and Performance, has received a 2026 Freedom of Movement Award in support of his research project, "The Interaction of Surface Type and Heat Stress to Influence Musculoskeletal Injury and Concussion Risk in Youth Athletes." The award provides internal funding for a large-scale, data-driven study aimed at reducing injury risk in youth sports through evidence-based match scheduling.
Dr. Watson's project, in conjunction with the University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation and the UW Human Performance Lab, addresses a critical gap in youth athletics. Although the risks associated with heat, playing surfaces, and competition demands are increasingly recognized, there is currently no evidence-based framework to guide match scheduling in ways that protect young athletes. This study will be among the first to prospectively combine real-world injury surveillance with detailed weather and playing surface data from elite youth soccer events across the United States, examining how heat stress, surface type, age, gender, and time of day interact to influence musculoskeletal injury and concussion risk.
"The collaboration with the ECNL, the Center for Athlete Health and Performance and the University of Wisconsin, has resulted in a fantastic opportunity to generate specific evidence that can translate into real-world interventions to benefit young athletes," Dr. Watson said. "This project builds on that relationship by advancing our understanding of how environmental factors influence injury risk and helping to develop a truly innovative approach to match scheduling that optimizes player health and safety."
For this study, the ECNL is providing Dr. Watson with access to national injury data and match scheduling information. Certified athletic trainers at more than 40 ECNL national events will collect detailed injury information, allowing the research team to calculate precise injury rates across different age groups, genders, and playing surfaces. Data will be collected from events totaling an estimated 400,000 to 500,000 player-hours, providing the statistical power needed to identify meaningful injury patterns and interactions among multiple risk factors.
Injury data will be paired with historical local weather data to calculate wet bulb globe temperature, a standard measure of heat stress. This integrated approach will enable a more nuanced understanding of how environmental conditions influence injury risk in youth athletes.
"The potential impact of this work is substantial," Dr. Watson said. "By examining how environmental and structural factors intersect, the research aims to identify previously unmeasured injury risk patterns and translate findings into practical, scalable match scheduling strategies that better protect young athletes while preserving competitive integrity. These findings could ultimately serve as a model for injury prevention, not only in youth soccer, but across a wide range of youth sports nationwide."
The ECNL Center for Athlete Health and Performance launched in March 2025 to identify, develop and share best practices in long-term youth athlete health, development and performance. The ECNL Center for Athlete Health and Performance provides compilations of the most applicable research from around the world on topics relevant to youth athletes, as well as evidence derived from research projects within the ECNL conducted in collaboration with Dr. Watson's Human Performance Laboratory at the University of Wisconsin.
The CAHP will continue to conduct research, disseminate evidence, and offer recommendations on a wide range of high-yield topics relevant to youth athletes, coaches, and families, including mental health, injury and illness risk and prevention, load management, pediatric exercise physiology, sport nutrition, and more.
For more information regarding the ECNL Center for Athlete Health and Performance, click here.
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About the ECNL:
The ECNL is the nation's leading youth soccer development platform for America's top soccer players. The ECNL mission to provide the best youth sports experience in the world drives constant innovations in competitions and experiences for players, parents, families, coaches, referees, and partners. The ECNL has questioned convention and challenged the status quo of youth sport since 2009, pushing boundaries and striving for unmatched excellence. Together with its clubs and club leaders, the ECNL creates unforgettable memories and supports the development of youth players into college stars, professionals, world champions, and leaders.
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