As a parent, we encourage and push our kids towards youth sports and activities. There are many benefits to participating in organized youth sports as a child such as socialization, teamwork, and physical fitness. There is also a greater risk of injuries for children while playing youth sports. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), more than 3.5 million kids under 14 years old receive some form of medical for sports related injuries on a yearly basis. Also, children ages 5 to 14 account for nearly 40 percent of sports-related injuries that are treated in hospitals.
One reason why kids are more susceptible to sports injuries is that their bodies are still growing and developing. Youth sports is not simply a miniature version of adult athletics. Kids muscles and tendons are still developing which means their bodies are at greater risk of being injured. Also, there can be varying degrees of size and maturity for kids in the same age range and young children can lack proper coordination and reaction skills to identify and avoid a risk of injury. Taking proper precaution and preparation is vital to preventing youth sports injuries.
Let’s Get In Formation
A great way to prevent injuries to your child when they participate in sporting activities is to utilize chiropractic care. Proper chiropractic care will ensure your child has the correct form and posture to less any stress on their joints. Also, chiropractic care is able to help with their spinal movement and will increase strength in their core which will help in preventing injuries.
Sanctioned Organization
Make sure the youth sporting activity your child is participating in is through their school, community groups, or church. This will ensure that the events are properly maintained and injury prevention is a priority for them. These events will also have adults and trained staff members that can help with treating injuries.
Warm up, warm up, warm up
Practicing proper stretching techniques will greatly decrease the risk of injury. Encourage them to make warm-ups a part of their daily routine and along with warming up, properly cooling down is key as well. Cooling down loosens any muscles that may have tightened up during the sporting event.
Hydration Station
Making sure to properly hydrate before and during a sporting event is key to avoiding dehydration, fatigue, and other heat-related illnesses.
R & R
There is a mindset that if you are young that your body and muscles are able to bounce back. That is one of the reasons why many parents do not hesitate in letting their child play in sporting events on consecutive days and sometimes multiple events on the same day. Overuse injuries can occur when the body and muscles are not given proper recovery time. Overuse injuries are the most common youth sports injuries.