As part of Emory Libraries’ efforts to celebrate the 2026 World Cup in Atlanta, the Woodruff Health Sciences Center Library presents a new display, “Footwork: Soccer and the Healing Arts.”
The display explores the evolution and current state of Soccer Medicine, a rapidly growing area of the wider discipline of Sports Medicine, which focuses on diagnosis, prevention, treatment, and long-term rehabilitation of players’ injuries, as well as an understanding of the particular risks involved in soccer– including orthopedic injuries to the foot, ankle, and lower extremities, concussions, and cardiac strain. At the same time, soccer’s accessibility and status as the world’s most popular sport makes it unique vehicle for health promotion, as demonstrated by the Rollins School of Public Health’s “Football Is Medicine” initiative.
Building on Emory’s long history of recreational and collegiate-level play, Emory Healthcare’s Soccer Medicine program has grown significantly during the last decade. In 2017, the program expanded its team of surgeons from 3 to 16, and later that year celebrated the opening of the Emory Sports Medicine Complex in Brookhaven. Since 2025, Emory Healthcare has been the official team healthcare provider of Atlanta United, providing on-the-ground coverage of practices and games, as well as serving the general medical needs of Atlanta United players and staff.
The display is part of the larger Footwork initiative across Emory University Libraries. It is expected to run through the summer 2026.
The display, open to the public at no charge, is located on the main level of the WHSC Library (1462). The library’s About webpage provides links to directions, parking, hours, and maps.