You see it all around Westfield now that the weather is warm and twilight lingers; crowds of youngsters, some with mitts and bats, or wearing lacrosse helmets, or swinging field hockey sticks. Perhaps one of them is your son or daughter.
Whether its Little League, field hockey, track and field, or any of Westfield’s other leagues, more of our city’s youth are playing sports than ever before. In fact, the National Council of Youth Sports estimates that 44 million kids play at least one organized sports activity. And while this surge in junior athletes is encouraging for many reasons, youth sports injuries are also skyrocketing.
“Regardless of whether the athlete is a professional, an amateur, an Olympian, or a young recreational athlete, the number of sports injuries is increasing – but the escalation of injuries in kids is the most alarming,” said James R. Andrews, MD, president of the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM).
Some alarming statistics:
- Sports injuries account for 4.3 million hospital emergency room visits annually in the US (Center for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Nearly 50 percent of all injuries sustained by middle school and highs school students during sports are overuse injuries (AAOS)
- Approximately 50 percent of overuse injuries in children and adolescents are preventable (The American College of Sports Medicine)
- Approximately 2 out of 5 traumatic brain injuries among children are associated with participation in sports and recreational activities (National Youth Sports Safety Foundation)
To address these issues, the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) created the STOP Sports Injuries Campaign. The campaign is designed to help parents, coaches, healthcare providers and athletes learn more about the prevention, treatment and long-term consequences of overuse and trauma injury.
“This is a good campaign they’ve started,” says Loren Isler, physical therapist at Noble Hospital’s Sports and Rehabilitation Center in Westfield. “Local coaches and parents should check out www.stopsportsinjuries.org. Their site has sports-specific injury prevention tips, pre-season training ideas, and facts about common injuries that parents may find helpful.”
Isler also offered some pointers for parents and coaches to help their junior athletes lessen their injury risk:
- Start training before the season. Overall strength and conditioning go a long way to preventing injury. “Asking your youngster to give 100% after spending the winter indoors leaves them more prone to injury,” says Isler. He recommends workouts that condition the entire body, including legs, arms and core.
- Always warm up before practice or games – but don’t stretch. “This is tough for adults to accept,” says Isler, “since we grew up stretching before games. We thought it was common sense, but turns out its wrong.” Studies show static stretching lessens power output and response time and actually slows down athletes, yet doesn’t lessen injury rates. Instead, Isler says, a gentle sport-specific warm up that includes dynamic stretching (also called ballistic stretching) helps reduce injury rates more. “Go through your motions slowly, such as throwing a ball, or practicing a tennis serve. Gradually build up speed, distance, and force. It should take 10 minutes or more. And take a jog to get the blood pumping,” says Isler.
- Always cool down afterwards. “Take the team on a slow lap around the field, or take a few more slow practice shots. And, now is the time to stretch,” says Isler. “Athletes that cool down have lower injury rates. Don’t jump into the car and just drive away.”
- Mix it up. “The trend is to focus a child on a single sport, and extend the season to make them more skilled and competitive,” says Isler, “but this means more repetitive motion, which leads to overuse injuries.” Cross training is more ideal for developing bodies.
- Listen to the body. “Your child isn’t a pro athlete,” says Isler, “and they shouldn’t push through pain. That’s their body’s way of warning something is wrong.” If your child complains of pain from sports, stop and consult your pediatrician, or a qualified medical professional.If rest and ice packs aren’t enough, your doctor may recommend physical or occupational therapy. Noble Hospital’s Sports and Rehabilitation Center in Westfield can help. You can call them at (413) 562-3522 to ask one of the therapists about sports injury prevention.
