Playing sports is an excellent way for children of all ages to lead a healthy lifestyle. It builds confidence and imparts valuable life lessons, such as teamwork and the importance of hard work.
While many sports enthusiasts dream of seeing their children succeed on the big stage, pushing young athletes to excel too soon can sometimes result in serious injuries that could sideline them for good.
“Sports help with physical and psychological well-being,” said Dr. Matthew Santa Barbara, a sports medicine physician at Henry Ford Health. “However, year-round participation in a single sport at a young age can lead to overuse injuries and mental burnout.”
Today, many children begin playing one sport early and continue year-round for years. This can be detrimental, as their soft tissues and bone structures are still developing. Moreover, the pressures of year-round play and a focus on achievement over enjoyment can negatively impact a young athlete’s mental health.
Basketball leads to the most injuries among high schoolers, resulting in numerous emergency room visits for stressed and torn ankle ligaments. In baseball, Tommy John surgery, which reconstructs torn elbow ligaments from overuse, is increasingly performed on high school athletes.
How to prevent sports injuries
Proper preparation and support are crucial before and during a sports season. Santa Barbara offered four key tips to help youth athletes avoid injury:
1. Don’t limit your child to one sport. Engaging in various sports throughout the year helps develop different muscle groups. As your child grows, they can specialize in a single sport they excel in and enjoy.
2. Warm up. Ensure your child warms up properly before playing any sport. Dynamic warm-ups -- such as lunges, high knees, and arm circles -- are more effective than static stretching alone.
3. Strengthen core muscles. Developing core strength alleviates pressure on joints in the arms and legs, providing young athletes with better momentum and potentially enhancing their performance.
4. Abide by rest rules. Follow any existing rules from schools or sports leagues about how many teams children can be on or how often they should play. This helps ensure adequate recovery time for their joints and muscles.
Children should never push through pain, and any injuries should be evaluated promptly by a sports medicine physician.
While physical injuries are often obvious, mental health issues can be more subtle, with symptoms like fatigue and declining performance indicating burnout. In these cases, rest is also crucial.
“Sports should be fun for kids,” Santa Barbara said. “Avoiding single sports specialization at a young age keeps the focus on enjoyment while reducing the physical and psychological risks of year-round participation.”
For a sports medicine provider at Henry Ford Health, visit henryford.com/sports or call 313-651-1969.