Andrew Watson, MD, associate professor in the UW Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation and director of the UW Human Performance Lab, has received a 2026 Freedom of Movement (FOM) 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 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.

A key strength of the project is its scale and real-world setting, made possible through a collaboration with the Elite Clubs National League (ECNL), the nation’s premier youth soccer development and competition platform, and the ECNL’s Center for Athlete Health and Performance. Dr. Watson’s lab has partnered with the ECNL for several years on initiatives related to athlete well-being, including mental health and injury prevention.

“Our collaboration with the ECNL,” said Dr. Watson, “has resulted in a fantastic opportunity to generate specific evidence that can translate into real-world interventions to benefit young athletes. 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 access to national injury surveillance 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 surveillance 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. 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.

Collaborators on this project include Jennifer Sanfilippo, PhD, assistant director of sports medicine within UW Athletics and coordinator of Badger Athletic Performance, Christian Lavers, MBA, JD, president and CEO of the ECNL, and Kristin Haraldsdottir, PhD, a research scientist within the UW Human Performance Lab. Together, the team brings expertise in athletic performance, sports administration, injury epidemiology, and applied research, ensuring the project’s findings will be both rigorous and impactful.

“We are truly grateful to the UW Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation for the support of this ongoing work,” said Dr. Watson.