According to the U.S. Census, more than 30 million children signed up to play sports in 2006, and 2.5 million of them made emergency-room visits for sports-related injuries. At the high-school level, 20 percent of the more than 7 million students who participated in sports in 2005 wound up with injuries, according to the National Federation of State High School Associations ( www.nfhs.org).
Not surprisingly then, sports-injury prevention is a hot topic. At the Columbus Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, for example, pediatric experts believe that such injuries can be traced back to a lack of fundamental skills, such as flexibility, balance, strength, agility, and core strength. By increasing these skills, researchers have seen a decrease in injuries.
To get a better understanding of how to prevent sports-related injuries in teenagers, we contacted Brian Robinson, MS, ATC, head athletic trainer at Glenbrook South High School in Glenview, Illinois.
Q: Are teens more susceptible to sports-related injuries than adults, and if so, why?
A: Kids might be more prone to injuries because they're more active, but there are other factors. When kids are growing, as in puberty, they may be more susceptible to injury in a specific sport. At the end of every long bone, there's a growth plate, where most growth occurs, and those growth plates are softer. So, in a baseball pitcher, for example, the growth plate in the elbow is under more stress and is more susceptible to injury.
Q: Which sports-related injuries do you see most often?
A: It's a toss up between sprains and pulled muscles.
Q: What are the most common causes of sports-related injuries?
A: For starters, the lack of a proper warm-up. There's much more to a warming up than just stretching; first you warm up the body, then you stretch. I also see a lot of injuries in kids who don't play any sports between seasons, who practice multiple sports, and who play soccer year-round and never give their bodies a chance to rebuild.
Q: Is it true that more injuries occur during practices than in actual games, and if so, why?
A: Yes, that's true. Games are more controlled. In a high-school football game, for instance, there's less incidence of contact than in practice. Plus, some coaches will try to make the practice more intense than the game.
Q: What can parents do to prevent sports-related injuries?
A: Start with proper nutrition and hydration. In high school, the freshmen games are often right after school. I've seen students stop at the vending machine and buy two candy bars and a Coke, and then they wonder why they don't do well! The girls might eat a bagel for breakfast and French fries for lunch, and their blood sugar is low at practice. Kids need to understand the gasoline analogy: Bodies run better on good fuel, bodies run badly on lousy food. Most kids ages 14 to 18 don't think about good food choices, but they need to make it a priority. They also need to drink plenty of water.
Q: What should parents keep in mind regarding footwear and safety equipment?
A: A school's equipment and facilities should be in good shape. Someone should be walking the grounds on a regular basis, and the equipment within the schools should be checked regularly. This is especially true with sports like lacrosse and football whose equipment should be reconditioned at least once a year. And in sports where the kids wear helmets, those helmets should be properly fitted.
Q: Are there any other guidelines parents should follow?
A: All young athletes should have a pre-participation exam to ensure they're fit for play. In some places-like Illinois, for example-the student's pediatrician must fill out a new form each year, but in other states and schools it isn't mandatory. In addition, to prevent overuse injuries, limit the sports your child plays to one per season. In addition, make sure he or she takes breaks during games or practice, cools down and stretches after play, and has enough rest days built into their game or practice schedules.
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