Biomechanically, the shoulder has the highest excursion as compared to any joint in the body leading to an increased injury risk due to the inherent lack of stability. Shoulder injuries may vary in severity leading to time loss from sport and functional disability immediately or later in life. Approaches to injury prevention vary between sports and between injuries. Strategies for preventing an injury following an acute trauma will differ from the approaches taken to prevent an overuse injury. The burden of shoulder problems highlights the need for injury prevention strategies. Identifying risk factors and developing strategies to prevent injury, based on these risk factors, are key components of preventing injuries in sports. This reflects the second and third steps in the “sequence of prevention” and “translating research into injury prevention practice” models. The etiology of sports injuries is complex with a multifactorial biopsychosocial nature. Effective prevention programs must support the education of coaches and athletes, target the known barriers such as lack of compliance/adherence, and improve attitudes and self-efficacy of individual athletes toward participating in injury prevention programs for success. Injury prevention programs/exercises are appropriate to prescribe for athletes of all levels to prevent shoulder injury. Implementing prevention programs also has the potential to improve sports performance.