The high-tops have been laced up for a week for Metro girls, who began practice on Nov. 7. The boys teams start practice Monday.

All 16 Metro basketball coaches will be giving their whistles a workout, and the tell-tale squeaks of shoes twisting on the hardcourt will echo in high school gyms.

It’s preseason high school basketball time, and the emphasis is on conditioning and fundamentals. The real challenge for coaches, players, and athletic trainers is how to prevent the injury bug from infecting their team.

Research tells us that over 75 percent of all injuries suffered by high school basketball players (girls and boys) occur during the regular season. Up to 40-50 percent of these injuries involve the ankle and foot.

Girls are twice as likely as boys to suffer a concussion during the basketball season. Girls are also 70 percent more likely to suffer a serious knee injury, while boys are 90 percent more likely to suffer a fracture. Guard play accounts for about 50 percent of the total injuries seen in high school basketball, and 25-30 percent of all injuries occur while a player is rebounding the basketball.

Preseason injuries can be a nuisance to an athlete throughout the year, or contribute to a more serious injury if not treated early. A significant portion of preseason practices emphasize conditioning along with drills for fundamentals. When fatigue sets in, it creates all sorts of problems for players. Concentration wanes, core stability muscles become slow to respond, coordination is disrupted, balance control decreases, and the ability to start and stop quickly is hampered. This is prime time for injuries.

Here are some helpful strategies to prevent injuries while at the same time promote better performance on the basketball court.

Warmup: Research shows that high school athletes have a tendency to get hurt less often when they practice “active” warm up. That means any passive stretching exercises should be done after the active warm up. This can be done throughout the season.

Footwear: Research supports the use of high-top basketball shoes. High tops can prevent ankle sprains better than lower cut shoes. NBA players change their shoes every 3-7 days, and although that is probably not financially feasible for most high school basketball players, research does advise high school players to check their shoes for wear at least once a month. Take your shoes to your athletic trainer to learn how to spot the signs of break-down of your most valuable equipment on the court.

Ankle support: Research shows that athletes will suffer less frequent and less severe ankle sprains on the court when using tape and a high-top shoe. Using ankle braces with a high-top shoe is even better, according to research reported last year. Have your athletic trainer check your braces for wear and tear frequently, and replace them accordingly.

Mouthguards: There is substantial evidence to support the use of these on the court. Problem is, they are not considered “cool” by the athletes, and some kids do complain of difficulty breathing while wearing one. If your athlete has a set of orthodontic enhanced teeth, mouthguards may be a great way to protect your investment.

Jump and landing training: Greater than 25 percent of all basketball injuries, especially to the ankles, feet, and knees, occur during rebounding. Proper instruction on landing with both feet in a “power” position, with the knees positioned over the top of the feet, has been shown to decrease the risk of injury. This is a must for all coaches to not only work on the mechanics of rebounding (emphasizing the take-off and landing) but research also shows how this can result in athletes becoming “quicker” at take-off and able to increase their vertical jump.

Cross-training: Conditioning by varying the methods to push endurance have been shown to reduce the incidence of overuse injuries. Coaches, mix and match the type of drills you use to enhance conditioning, and pay attention to any drill that seems to contribute to a breakout of aches and pains. Be willing to change-up your routines.

Athletic trainers: The highly skilled athletic trainers in the Metro area are capable of picking up the early signs of minor overuse injuries and treat them promptly, the key to avoiding chronic aches and pains from following the athletes all season. Coaches, show your trust in your athletic trainer and recommend all of your players have regular visits to the training room to take care of their aches and pains, as well as have regular check-ups on their shoes and ankle braces.

Basketball is considered by most a limited contact sport, and athletes are at risk for acute injuries as a result of trauma from collisions and falls. There is tremendous stress placed on the high school basketball athlete from the sudden acceleration, deceleration, pivoting, jumping, landing, and explosive movements that place athletes at significant risk for acute injuries. Sports injuries, including those in basketball, will never be totally eliminated. Sports injury research has resulted in better equipment standards, better conditioning for athletes, and injury prevention strategies that can work.

Let the hoops begin.

(About the Author: John Tomberlin has worked with high school athletes in the Cedar Rapids Metro area since 1995. He was a four-sport athlete in high school and a high school coach for two years in Illinois. John has more than 25 years of experience working with athletes as a physical therapist and a certified strength and conditioning specialist. He has worked with professional athletes in the NFL, MLB, and on the PGA and LPGA tours. John also has worked with elite amateur athletes in alpine skiing, figure skating, and track and field.)