More American children are competing in sports than ever before. Sports help children and adolescents keep their bodies fit and feel good about themselves. However, there are some important injury prevention tips that can help parents promote a safe, optimal sports experience for their child.
All sports have a risk of injury. In general, the more contact in a sport, the greater the risk of injury.
Most injuries occur to ligaments (connect bones together), tendons (connect muscles to bones) and muscles. Only about 5 percent of sports injuries involve broken bones.
However, the areas where bones grow in children are at more risk of injury during the rapid phases of growth. In a growing child, point tenderness over a bone should be evaluated further by a medical provider even if minimal swelling or limitation in motion is present.
Most frequent sports injuries are sprains [1] (injuries to ligaments) and strains [2] (injuries to muscles), caused when an abnormal stress is placed on tendons, joints, bones and muscle. As always, you should contact your child's pediatrician if you have additional questions or concerns.
To prevent or reduce the risk of sports injury, children should:
The pressure to win can cause significant emotional stress [13] for a child. Sadly, many coaches and parents consider winning [14] the most important aspect of sports. Young athletes should be judged on effort, sportsmanship and hard work [15]. They should be rewarded for trying hard and for improving their skills rather than punished or criticized [16] for losing a game or competition.
Links:
[1] https://www.momsteam.com/node/285
[2] https://www.momsteam.com/node/609
[3] https://www.momsteam.com/node/228
[4] https://www.momsteam.com/node/446
[5] https://www.momsteam.com/node/778
[6] https://www.momsteam.com/node/457
[7] https://www.momsteam.com/node/988
[8] https://www.momsteam.com/node/276
[9] https://www.momsteam.com/node/1132
[10] https://www.momsteam.com/node/291
[11] https://www.momsteam.com/node/277
[12] https://www.momsteam.com/node/871
[13] https://www.momsteam.com/node/1362
[14] https://www.momsteam.com/node/1170
[15] https://www.momsteam.com/node/480
[16] https://www.momsteam.com/node/473
[17] https://www.momsteam.com/health-safety/mouth-guards-prevent-dental-injuries-but-need-to-be-replaced-frequently
[18] https://www.momsteam.com/health-safety/eyes-mouth-jaw/eyes/protective-eyewear-reduces-eye-injuries
[19] https://www.momsteam.com/nutrition/heat-illness-cramps-exhaustion-stroke-signs-treatment