Which of the following is the simplest way to prevent injury to the young athlete?

Sports are one of the main causes of injuries in adolescents.

Luckily, there are ways to help prevent injury during sport.

By following these 10 tips, it may reduce your child’s risk of injury during sports. 

• Get a Preseason Physical. Preseason physicals with your child’s pediatrician are a great way to identify any risk factors that your child may have for injury such as loose ligaments, tight muscles, or any cardiovascular problems. Identification of any of these risk factors will allow for recommendations of appropriate sports for your child to play. 
• Cross Training. Allow your child to play multiple sports, and discourage playing the same sport year-round or playing on multiple teams of the same sport at once. Training in only one sport can lead to overuse of muscles or joints, which can lead to an increased risk for injury. Cross training allows your child to work a variety of muscles and joints. 
• Warm Ups. Every athlete should warm up before a practice or game. This should include stretching as well as dynamic warm ups such as walking, jogging, jumping jacks, and sport specific warm ups. Warm ups not only decrease risk of injury, but can also help prevent soreness.
• Rest. Overuse injuries are one of the most common types of injuries in young athletes. Encourage your child to take some periods of rest each week and throughout the year to decrease the risk of overuse injuries. Lack of sleep and muscle fatigue also predispose athletes to injury. 
• Equipment. Make sure your child is using the appropriate equipment for their sport. This could include protective equipment such as helmets and pads, or may just mean shoes. Regardless of what the equipment is, it is important that their equipment all fits appropriately. 
• Technique. Make sure your child is taking the time to learn appropriate technique during practices. There are right and wrong techniques across all sports, and not using proper form or technique increases the risk of injury.  
• Be Aware. Recognize injury early. Talk to your child about listening to their body and not pushing through any pain or discomfort they may have. Young athletes have a tendency to push through pain because they do not want to miss out on practices or games, which can lead to injury. Take it upon yourself as a parent to watch your child’s form during games and practices and look for any changes as they may be an indication of discomfort, pain or injury.
• Nutrition and Hydration. While it is important for all children to eat a well balanced diet and stay hydrated, it is even more important for young athletes. Ensure that your child is eating a well balanced diet in order to fuel their body properly. Hydration is especially important for athletes that are playing their sport outside during hot and humid weather. 
• Training. Athletes should train for the sport they are playing, not expect the sport to get them in shape. It is important to train ahead of time before starting a sport using a conditioning program that is specific to the sport they are going to play. It is also important to ease into training rather than going from not being very active to full exertion during practices and games. A slow ramp up is important to decrease risk of injury. 
• Environment. If possible, make sure your child is participating in sports in a safe environment. Fields with lots of holes and ruts increase risk for injury, wooden floors and track surfaces are easier on our joints and bones than concrete surfaces. 

While there is no way to completely erase the risk of injury during sports.  By following these guidelines, you can decrease the likelihood that your child will be injured while playing their chosen sport. If your child has suffered a sports injury and needs help in the recovery process, ask your pediatrician for a Physical Therapy referral!