It’s summer and that means organized sports for a lot of kids. Below are some tips on how to stay happy and healthy in a child’s sport of choice so they can stay in the game for a lifetime! Also, since it’s summer, make sure everyone respects the heat to prevent any heat illness.
Baseball Injury Prevention
Injuries in young athletes are on the rise, but elbow and shoulder injuries in children are on the verge of becoming an epidemic. Thousands of children are seen each year complaining of elbow or shoulder pain. Damage or tear to the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) is the most common injury suffered and is often caused by pitchers throwing too much. This ligament is the main stabilizer of the elbow for the motions of pitching. When it becomes damaged, it can be difficult to repair and rehabilitate.
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Softball Injury Prevention
Softball injuries in young athletes are on the rise and nearly as frequent as baseball injuries, but they generally result in less time lost to competition. These injuries most commonly involve the back, shoulder, forearm, wrist, and hand. Pitchers are not more prone to injury than position players; catchers and infielders have similar injury rates. However, pitcher injuries differ from position player injuries because pitchers use a windmill motion that places unique demands on the back, neck, shoulder, forearm, and wrist.
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Heat Illness Prevention
Heat-related illness and death are on the rise. Heat stroke, a severe form of heat-related illness, is one of the three leading causes of death in athletes and likely the leading cause among athletes in July and August. Yet heat illness is largely preventable.
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About STOP Sports Injuries
This comprehensive public outreach program focuses on the importance of sports safety-specifically relating to overuse and trauma injuries. The initiative not only raises awareness and provides education on injury reduction, but also highlights how playing safe and smart can enhance and extend a child’s athletic career, improve teamwork, reduce obesity rates and create a lifelong love of exercise and healthy activity. Their message underscores the problems of overuse and trauma and emphasizes the expertise of their coalition of experts.
STOP Sports Injuries is geared towards providing guidance on healthy and safe athletic participation and should not be considered a replacement for speaking with your physician, athletic trainer or other qualified healthcare provider.