Ways to keep kids active and injury-free

Does this resemble your child’s sports schedule? They practice multiple days a week with competition on weekends. They participate in rigorous training camps and leagues in the off-season or they play the same or multiple sports year round.

Youth sports are becoming more competitive at younger ages with much pressure to participate and perform at their very best. The “fun” of simply being active has been driven out of the game as youth sports have become more “professional.” Soon, the start of a new school year will begin signaling another round of youth sports. We all want our kids to be physically active and participating in some type of sport. But we also want to make sure they are kept safe and injury-free.

Youth sports are far more competitive than what they used to be, introducing children even in preschool to the rigors of practices and training. The more pressure that is placed on youth to excel and play multiple sports a year this also increases the child’s risk for a sports-related injury.

With more than 38 million children participating in sports each year in the United States, there is bound to be injuries that happen. In fact, according to Safe Kids Worldwide, one in three children are injured seriously enough to miss practices or games, girls are eight times more likely to have an ACL injury, and most organized sports-related injuries (62 percent) occur during practice instead of the game.

Sports are a great way for youth to be involved, work as a team player and to stay in shape. But year-round sports activities, long practices and frequent games can lead to health concerns such as stress fractures, torn ligaments, musculoskeletal issues, bone or growth-plate injuries, repetitive motions injuries and heat-related injuries.

How do you balance keeping kids active having fun in a sport but injury free? Here are some tips to make this happen:

· Avoid having them do only one sport

If a child is only active in one sport, say like playing basketball, then this can overexert the same muscle groups and they may not learn to develop other sports skills. Encourage them to try out multiple sports and there may very well be one or two they become proficient at. Try not to overlap sports at the same time to where that could lead to too much stress on growing bones and muscles.

· Limit one sport a season

A useful rule of thumb to apply to a child’s sports schedule is “one sport per season and one league per sport.” Participating in more than one sport a season places them an increased risk for injury plus can put a strain on family time. With sports teams vying for year-round commitment, your child will have to learn to choose just one, stick with that it and then try a different sport at another time of the year.

· Take at least one day off each week

No matter what the age, all of us need at least one day off a week to rest and recuperate. This one day allows the body a chance to heal in addition to giving a child some time off from the pressures of practices and games. It’s a good idea to allow at least a few weeks between sports giving a child a chance to explore other areas of interests besides athletics.

· Get to know the coaches

Introducing yourself to the coaches or even volunteering to help out in some way is a good idea in order to keep a watchful eye on your child and their practices. Check to make sure all teammates are allowed breaks for water and rest if needed. Be respectful of the coaches but speak up if there are concerns you have with their coaching philosophy. When the coaches know you and know you care, they can be a valuable source of information on the sport and how to improve while staying safe.

· Take notice of equipment used and field conditions

Be an observant parent. Check out any equipment used making sure it is not worn or defective that could place children at unnecessary risk for injury. Notice the conditions of the field, court, or swimming pool and ask questions if something seems amiss that could put children at risk of getting hurt.