Q: Do you have any tips on sports-injury prevention for growing children?
A: When children start to play sports – and more and younger children are participating than ever before – it’s important to start them off on the right foot.
Make sure your child is properly trained for the sport. Look for programs that emphasize good form. Whether it’s about pitching or golfing, running or swimming, biking or skating, the primary focus should be on proper technique. It protects against injury and prevents the formation of bad habits.
Children’s sports programs should also reflect the importance of the basics. Kids should have a good understanding of the rules of the game and the value of sportsmanship. They should be familiar with the necessary athletic equipment and properly fitted with – and consistently use – the appropriate protective gear. In addition, they should be taught to warm up before the activity and cool down afterward, to safeguard muscle and soft tissue.
And just as important as teaching your child the right way to play is teaching them the value of an active, healthy lifestyle all year round.
Launching into track season with long-distance runs, for example, after a winter spent on the couch playing video games, will almost definitely result in unnecessary soreness, and could lead to a season-ending overuse injury.
Your child might want to train for his or her favorite sport in the off-season by following an exercise program recommended by a coach, athletic trainer or physical therapist. This conditioning allows kids to maintain a level of fitness throughout the year and even improve on it by building strength, endurance and sport-specific skills.
Another option is for young athletes to participate in a variety of sports throughout the year, which allows them to enjoy a range of activities while staying fit. They’ll also learn additional skills. Such cross training may prevent overuse injuries and allow kids to explore all their athletic strengths.
By keeping the sports spectrum broad, you help your child to develop in a way that reduces the risk of overuse injury and sports burnout. A child who plays only hockey may never learn that he has the potential to be a great long jumper too.
Edward Laskowski, M.D., Sports Medicine Center, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.
Write to: medicaledge@mayo.edu, or Medical Edge from Mayo Clinic, c/o TMS, 2225 Kenmore Ave., Suite 114, Buffalo, N.Y., 14207. For health information, visit .
