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As children fill football and soccer fields this fall, parents can do much to help ensure kids make it to the end of the season in at least as good shape as they entered it. At the top of Dr. Thomas Abramo’s list in this regard is proper gear.
Be sure to supplement kids’ fluid intake with sports drinks that replenish electrolytes and water, Dr. Abramo says. In addition, make sure kids aren’t pushed too hard; they should exercise in moderation and take regular rest periods. Although children often are anxious to get started with a game, one effective way to avoid common injuries during a game or during practice is to insist that kids always stretch and warm up before and afterward. “For soccer players, it’s important to stretch the ankles, the hamstrings and the quads, for example, and baseball players need to stretch so that they’re flexible in their arms and the shoulders, in particular,” Dr. Abramo says. Children also should participate in their correct age bracket, he adds. If they’re moved to an older age bracket to be with friends, for example, they stand a greater chance of injury because they’re not prepared to take the hits and the bruises that come with playing with older kids. The most common injuries among child athletes are ankle injuries, which are of particular concern among kids younger than 13. Because their growth plates have not yet fused, these younger athletes are more apt to sustain a growth fracture, as opposed to the ligament tear that a child who’s 16 or older is more likely to experience. Among younger kids, it’s a good idea to have any ankle injury that’s moderate or worse evaluated by a physician. Head injuries are, of course, one of the greatest causes for concern in any athlete. “If a child has a significant enough head injury that they don’t remember what happened, or if they’re experiencing vomiting, ringing in the ears or general confusion, then they need to see a doctor as soon as possible,” Dr. Abramo says. Even if such a child gets a clean bill of health, the occurrence likely will preclude his return to sports activity for at least a week or two. Finally, when a child is injured, a good rule of thumb is to let the child move on his own. “If there’s any acute injury, the child’s not going to move that part of the body, particularly if it’s a neck injury or a fracture,” Dr. Abramo says. “If the child doesn’t want to move an extremity or particularly the neck, then you want to get immediate medical care. The mentality of just shaking it off and continuing play can be very detrimental to the child.” |
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“Parents need to be sure to get age-appropriate, quality equipment for their children,” says Dr. Abramo, an emergency medicine physician on the medical staff at Children’s Medical Center Dallas. “Ill-fitting shoes and other equipment can actually cause more damage to a child in the long run than anything else. It’s better to spend the money for the right shoes, pads and headgear, and to make sure they fit the child properly.”