Health & Safety Channel

Here are seven ways parents can help keep their kids safe playing sports:

1. Be pro-active about safety issues; learn about the risks posed by the sport your child plays
2. Insist that coaches receive training in first-aid and injury prevention and bring a properly stocked first-aid kit to all games and practices
3. Guard against overuse injuries; don't let your child play the same sport year-round
4. Demand safe fields and equipment, such as anchored goals, and emergency telephones
5. Ask about the weather policy of your child's club; if it doesn't have one, adopt your own
6. Protect your child from the dangerous coach. Ask your club to run background checks on coaches or adopt the KidSafe program.
7. Get your child's club to set up a risk management committee.