Sports injuries

Children in today's world are being exposed to sports at an earlier age then ever before. With the increase we are seeing in obesity, getting active is something we encourage for all kids. We need to be careful though. Children are starting to specialize in sports during their early school years. Programs are set up so that they can play their sport throughout the entire year. In the past, kids would take two to three months off of playing their main sport and experience something else. This time off is essential for their bodies. When a person does one sport over and over again, they are using the same muscles all of the time. The growing bones and joints of a child and teenager are not capable of tolerating this repeated stress. The end result is an increase in sprains, tendonitis and fractures. Burnout also is commonly seen when a child does a sport year-round. Thus, giving them a break helps prevent this. While it is easy to get caught up with coaches and programs that encourage year round practice, let's remember what is best for our kids. This also will help them to be better players in the long run.

Avoiding overuse injuries and burnout

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