Preparing The Young Athlete

By Josef Burton, MD and Pamela Kwittken, MD

We all want to see our children thriving and happy, and being involved in sports is often recommended as one of the ways to keep them on track. Kids need fresh air and exercise, benefit from learning the rules of sportsmanship, and get a lot out of the camaraderie amongst teammates. As long as it is balanced — not too much pressure, competition, or aggression — most children appear to be at their happiest when they are playing their favorite sport with their buddies.

There are issues to consider, however, when you decide to let your child try out for any competitive sport or join a team at school. You want it to be a good experience but it also needs to be safe. Competitive sports teams routinely require an official sports physical before a child even tries out. You want this too. Let your child go out onto the playing field the first time knowing that his or her doctor has checked for any problems that might impact health or safety.

Routine sports physicals will include vision and hearing screening, a check for bone abnormalities or conditions like scoliosis (curvature of the spine), hernias, plus monitoring of the heart and lungs. Make sure everything is working right before you put extra stress on the child’s system. If your child has asthma, discuss his or her tolerance of exercise. with your physician.

Once the physical is out of the way, there are other things to check out before the first practice starts. Who is going to be coaching the team? Does this person have certification in first aid or CPR? Does he allow, or even insist, that injured athletes take a break? Does he do warm-ups, stretching, or cool-down sessions to help avoid injuries? It’s your child and it is fair to ask ahead of time.

If you feel confident that the coach is qualified and will do his or her best to insure that all the children have a positive, healthy experience, then the next step is to see that your child has the proper equipment. Obviously protective gear varies according to the game your child is going to play, but it’s there for a purpose. Helmets, for instance, are either required or mandated for auto and motor sports, equestrian sports, in-line skating, snowmobiling, baseball, football, rugby, softball, bicycling, hockey, skateboarding, wrestling, boxing, lacrosse, and skiing. Helmets have been proven to prevent head injuries (i.e., brain damage), and you want to be sure that your child has a helmet that is up to standards for the sport he or she is playing, and that he or she actually wears it when he or she is participating.

Beyond helmets there are hockey face protectors, wrist guards, knee and elbow pads, shinpads, face guards, mouth guards, and athletic supporters. Find out what is required, and what is recommended, and let your child know that you expect him to follow the guidelines and use the protective equipment. Children do get hurt in organized sports; it is impossible to avoid that completely. As a mater of fact, about 4.4 million children, ages 5 to 18, are treated in hospital emergency rooms each year for sports injuries. But you can reduce the odds by using the right protective gear and other equipment. Many injuries can be prevented.

Ready For Practice

Now that your child is almost ready to go out for the first practice, review some basic safety rules. First of all, he should follow the rules of the game. You can check with the coach ahead of time and find out what is expected physically and what your child can do to get into shape. Begin training slowly and work up to the desired level of fitness. Once the season starts, remind the child about adequate fluid intake — drinking water to prevent dehydration is important year-round. Encourage exercises to warm up or cool down slowly and therefore avoid injuries. See that your child eats properly and gets plenty of rest and doesn’t push his or her body to an extreme.

Parents can also make sure the coach has phone numbers for emergency contacts and that there is someone there who can be a “first responder” in case of an accident. Check that players are fairly matched in terms of size and ability. Children can vary dramatically in size, strength, and skill during their school years and the small child is at greater risk for injury.

Most sports injuries are either from chronic or repetitive overuse, resulting in stress fractures, muscle tears, or progressive bone deformities, or acute injuries, the result of trauma from a major force. Acute injuries can be fractures, dislocations, and more serious injuries like traumatic brain and spinal injuries. Twenty-one percent of all children who suffer traumatic brain injury in this country are injured in sports. Basketball, football, baseball, softball, soccer, and gymnastics are considered the most high-risk sports for children.

Regardless of the risks, the benefits of sports for children are untold. Children learn life-long habits of fitness, develop confidence and positive self esteem, form lasting friendships with other players, and are nourished and enriched by the positive examples of good coaches. There is much to be gained. You can help your child make it a better, safer season by following simple guidelines for health and safety, imparting those guidelines to him or her in an age appropriate manner, and then showing your support no matter what his level, ability, or choice of sport might be.

Dr Josef Burton and Dr Pamela Kwit tken, Pediatrics PC, share a practice in New Milford. They are also on the staff of New Milford Hospital.