As the intensity for youth sports grows, so does the concern for the well-being of our young athletes.
From playground games to organized leagues, children are engaging in physical activities at earlier ages and with greater intensity than ever before. With this comes an increased risk of sports-related injuries.
What can parents do to help prevent these injuries to ensure their young athletes stay safe and healthy? Children’s Hospital of Michigan has some helpful tips:
1. Prioritize communication
Parents should establish open lines of communication with their young athletes. It’s vital to ensure children understand the importance of speaking up if they experience pain or discomfort during sports activities. When you encourage them to seek help and not push through pain, this can help prevent minor issues from escalating into serious injuries.
2. Embrace variety
When parents encourage children to participate in a variety of age-appropriate sports, they can significantly reduce the risk of overuse injuries, which are among the most common in young athletes, according to Children’s Hospital of Michigan. When they engage in diverse activities, children can develop a range of skills while giving their bodies a chance to rest and recover from the demands of any single sport.
3. Schedule preseason physicals
A preseason or back-to-school physical provides a perfect opportunity to assess a young athlete’s readiness to participate in sports. These exams can help identify any underlying health issues or physical limitations that may increase their risk of injury.
4. Warm up and cool down
When young athletes incorporate proper warm-up and cool-down routines into their regimen, this can help to prevent injuries. Dynamic and static stretching exercises can help prepare muscles for activity and reduce the risk of strains and sprains.
5. Emphasize rest and recovery
Adequate rest between practices, games and seasons is critical for young athletes. Overuse injuries often result from insufficient rest and muscle fatigue. Parents should schedule offseason periods to allow their children’s bodies time to recuperate and recharge.
6. Maintain a healthy lifestyle
A well-balanced diet and proper hydration are vital components of injury prevention. Ensure young athletes consume nutritious meals and stay hydrated to support their overall health and performance on the field.
Recognize and respond to injuries
Knowing how to recognize and respond to injuries during sports activities is one of the most important things for young athletes’ safety. Parents should be vigilant for signs of injury during sports activities, such as consistent pain, swelling or changes in technique. If an injury occurs, prompt evaluation and treatment are essential to prevent further complications and promote optimal recovery.
Head injuries -- particularly concussions -- are of special concern. Dr. Joshua Gatz, a pediatric sports medicine specialist with Children’s Hospital of Michigan, explained that concussions result from sudden blows or jolts to the head or body, causing the brain to move rapidly and potentially leading to metabolic and chemical changes.
“With 1.6-3.8 million sports-related concussions annually, children and young adults are at higher risk of these injuries and typically face longer recovery times. This is especially true in contact sports like football, soccer, lacrosse, hockey, wrestling and cheerleading,” he said.
Prompt evaluation and treatment are vital for preventing further complications and ensuring optimal recovery.
Proper diagnosis and treatment matter
Children’s growing bodies require special attention when it comes to sports injuries. Prompt and accurate diagnosis, along with the appropriate treatment, is crucial for preventing long-term complications and ensuring a safe return to activity.
According to Children’s Hospital of Michigan, a child suspected of a head injury should be removed from play and evaluated every 15 minutes to ensure symptoms are not worsening over time.
Some red flag signs that something more serious may be going on include: repetitive vomiting, loss of consciousness, progressively worsening headache, bruises under the eyes or below the ears, severe neck pain, slurred speech, disorientation, behavior changes, numbness in the extremities or seizures. If any of these are present, they should immediately be taken to the emergency department where their doctor will take a thorough account of what happened and determine if additional testing is necessary.
“Athletes should be immediately removed from play if a head injury is suspected -- until they are able to be evaluated by a trained medical professional,” Gatz said. “If diagnosed with a concussion, we will work with your athlete to help them get back to their normal routine, as symptoms allow, while continuing to restrict certain activities. Your healthcare provider can help determine when your child is ready to go back to regular exercise and participating in sports, but, as they say: ‘When in doubt, sit them out.’”
Once ready, Gatz said recent studies have found that athletes with concussion who participate in light, controlled forms of physical activity may return to sports almost twice as fast and with nearly half the risk of prolonged symptoms. He said they term this “exercise as medicine” and describes how physicians will work with their athletes to incorporate this into the treatment regimen.
Athletes wanting to return may report feeling “fine,” so it is important to assess whether your child is ready to return to sports. These are measures your health care team can use to evaluate the state of your child, such as symptom checklists, detailed history taking, specific exam maneuvers and computer-based neurocognitive testing.
While not all injuries are preventable, in some cases, parents, caregivers and other trusted adults can take steps to avoid injuries or lessen their severity.
Gatz said parents should always make sure their child is wearing proper protection for any sport they’re participating in.
“Helmets should be worn for all collision sports, such as football or hockey; as well as for outdoor activities that carry a risk of falling such as biking, rock-climbing, skiing, snowboarding and skateboarding,” Gatz said.
Parent should never encourage children to play through pain. It can lead to further injury and prolonged recovery times. Instead, emphasize the importance of honesty and caution young athletes against ignoring or downplaying injuries.