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It is estimated that more than 1 million children receive severe injuries every year playing sports that require emergency room treatment. Here are some tips to help you minimize the risks your children take when they play sports. Make sure your child always wears properly fitting safety equipment The better the fit and quality of the protective equipment your child wears, the less chance for injury. A boy wearing his older brother’s too-large football helmet, for example, will likely receive a more severe injury than if he was wearing a football helmet that fit him properly. “A lot of times younger children receive hand-me-down equipment from their older siblings,” says Dr. Richard Hinton, a pediatric sports medicine specialist. “Hand-me-downs are OK if they fit well and meet current standards.” Like child safety seats, it’s important to make sure your child’s sports safety equipment is current. Coaches can help ensure the equipment fits properly. Teach your child to play by the rules On some teams, winning is more important than playing a good game. “If kids who are playing sports are playing for the wrong reasons, they’re more likely to get injured,” warns Dr. Hinton. The Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA), a nonprofit group of sports professionals and coaches, suggests that parents “tell your child before each game that you are proud of him or her regardless of how well he or she plays.” During the game, don’t yell obscenities, instruct your child, or do anything else you might regret later. Instead, “fill your child’s ‘Emotional Tank’ through praise and positive recognition so they can play their very best,” the PCA suggests. After the game, thank the officials, thank the coach, and tell your child how proud you are of the good work he or she did. Don’t let your children play themselves into shape Encourage your child to exercise throughout the summer and not wait until the last few weeks before school. “It’s really common for high schoolers to work at the mall all summer, then step into the hot weather just before school starts to begin fall sports practice and work themselves into shape,” says Dr. Hinton. Not only are the kids exercising as hard as possible after months of resting, but they also expect their bodies to work hard in a harsh environment. Meet the coach It’s important for parents to know the coach. The coach needs to know that you’re bringing a positive attitude to the team. “Coaches feel better when parents are active and engaged, when they’re not stereotypically yelling on the side, but show appropriate concern,” says Dr. Hinton. The Positive Coaching Alliance states, “Research is clear that when parents and teachers work together a child tends to do better in school. There’s no reason to think that it is any different in youth sports.” Make sure the coach has an emergency action plan “What’s going to happen when a child goes down?” asks Dr. Hinton. Every coach should have a written action plan that contains important information such as how the parents will be contacted, how ambulances will be called, and the location of the nearest hospital. Make sure the coach has your correct emergency contact information, including your cell phone number. Don’t play the same sport year-round A new trend in children’s sports that concerns Dr. Hinton is the tendency to play the same sport year-round. “The more time kids spend in competitive situations, the more likely they are to be injured.” Kids who play on competitive leagues focus more on winning, which increases injury rates. “This concept of 9-year-old children preparing for college scholarships increases pressure and keeps them from learning team concepts,” says Dr. Hinton. Any time your child feels pressured to win, fun disappears, and injury rates increase. Be a positive role model, take a few simple precautions, and your child will exercise injury free. Terri Pilcher is a freelance writer. |
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