As we get closer to summer, more children are participating in team sports. This offers social, emotional and physical benefits, but the benefits of participation can be reduced if the child is sidelined due to injury.
Did you know that every 3 minutes a child is seen in an emergency department for a sports-related concussion? Other sports-related safety facts:
- The most common injuries are head and ankle injuries.
- Girls are 8 times more likely to have an ACL injury than boys.
- Almost half of youth sports-related concussions occur in children aged 12-15 years old.
- Ice hockey is the most common sport for concussions to occur in children aged 12-17 years old.
Benton-Franklin Health District (BFHD) wants you to know about some of the simple things you can do to help reduce preventable injuries and keep kids in the game.
Sport Safety Tips:
- Make sure your child receives a pre-participation physical exam (PPE), performed by a doctor, nurse practitioner or qualified clinician.
- Bring a water bottle to both practice and games. Encourage children to stay well hydrated by drinking plenty of water before, during and after play.
- Stretching before practice and games can release muscle tension and help prevent sports-related injuries, such as muscle tears or sprains. Make sure there is time set aside before every practice and game for athletes to warm up properly.
- Try taking time off from one sport to learn new skills in a different sport. This can prevent injuries from using the same muscles over and over again.
- It is also a good idea for coaches to get certified in first aid and CPR, learn the signs of a concussion, and help avoid overuse injury by resting players during practices and games.
- Make sure children have the appropriate gear and are wearing it for practices and games. These may include helmets, shin guards, mouth guards, ankle braces, shoes with rubber cleats and sunscreen.
For more tips and information about sports-related injuries, visit safekids.org.
If you would like to become involved in childhood injury prevention, join the Benton-Franklin Safe Kids Coalition! Email Sierra at [email protected] for more information.