Three Things That Can Help Keep Your Child Athlete Injury-Free

Youth and high school sports are as popular as ever. More than 61 percent of school-age children participate in sports of some kind, according to the Aspen Institute’s Project Play, which aims to “develop insights, ideas and opportunities to help stakeholders build healthy communities through sports.”

The flip side to this, however, is an increase in the number of injuries to children. The CoachSafely® Foundation, whose mission is to “limit youth sports-related injuries through research, advocacy and education of coaches, parents, physical educators and other influential figures in the lives of young athletes,” offers the following statistics on sports-related injuries in children:

·      More than 3.5 million children ages 14 and younger get hurt annually playing sports or participating in recreational activities.

·      Sports and recreational activities contribute to approximately 21 percent of all traumatic brain injuries among American children.

·      Almost 50 percent of head injuries sustained in sports or recreational activities occur during bicycling, skateboarding, or skating incidents.

·      More than 775,000 children, ages 14 and younger, are treated in hospital emergency rooms for sports-related injuries each year. Most of the injuries occurred as a result of falls, being struck by an object, collisions, and overexertion during unorganized or informal sports activities.

Gautam Yagnik, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon with Baptist Health Orthopedic Care and team physician for both the Florida Panthers and the Miami Dolphins, says he hopes to see these numbers come down as greater awareness is created – at school and at home – around injury prevention in youth sports.

Gautam Yagnik, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon with Baptist Health Orthopedic Care and team physician for both the Florida Panthers and the Miami Dolphins

With the increased focus on injuries in football, some parents are asking if their kids should even play football, Dr. Yagnik admits. “It’s a very personal decision for the parents. I tell all parents that any sport their child plays comes with some inherent risks. But to me, the mental and physical benefits you get from playing football or any other sport and being part of a team outweigh the risks of a sedentary lifestyle.”

Dr. Yagnik says there is a much sharper focus on concussions today – how to prevent them and how to treat them. “We’re continuing to learn a lot about concussions,” he says. “They’re still kind of a ‘black box’ when we look at it from a scientific perspective. Everyone responds to these injuries differently.”

In football safety, Dr. Yagnik says there have been advancements in helmet design to help reduce the number and severity of concussions. “Helmet technology has advanced in terms of design, fit and protection. And now we’re seeing position-specific helmets designed for individual position groups to meet their specific needs,” he says.

For parents of children enrolled in youth football programs, Dr. Yagnik recommends thinking about three important things:

1.     Conditioning: You want your child to be properly conditioned and have good cardiovascular health. As they get older, it is important for kids to properly prepare for the beginning of the season. This means participating in on field conditioning programs as well as performing strengthening exercise in the gym. 

2.     Heat: Heat illness is a real issue in South Florida and being aware of how it can affect your child is very important – particularly for an early Fall sport like football. Good hydration is crucial, as is making sure they get the proper rest in shade.

3.     Equipment: Make sure your kids have their own equipment that fits them properly. They should not be borrowing their friends’ or siblings’ equipment.

By keeping these three things in mind, your child should be able to make it through the season injury-free, Dr. Yagnik says. “If your child does sustain an injury, our physicians and staff at Baptist Health Orthopedic Care are trained in the latest techniques and have access to the most advanced technologies sports medicine has to offer.”