What Can Parents And Coaches Do To Prevent Sports Injury To Children

There is plenty that parents and coaches can do to protect children in sports. Children are inexperienced; lack the physical ability that adults do, so they must be taught how to play safely and how...

There is plenty that parents and coaches can do to protect children in sports. Children are inexperienced; lack the physical ability that adults do, so they must be taught how to play safely and how to condition their bodies so that they can be physically fit. Parents and coaches can take the following steps to ensure the safety of children while participating in sports.

Children should be grouped according to skill level and to their size, and not just by age. This is especially important in contact sports.

The child should be matched to the sport and not the other way around. Children should not be pushed to participate in a sport that they are not physically capable of doing.

Parents should seek out sports programs that enroll certified athletic trainers. Certified athletic trainers besides being knowledgeable about the particular sport are also trained to prevent, recognize, and to give immediate first-aid to sports injuries.

All children should be required to have a preseason physical examination.

No child should be allowed to play when injured. It is not good to “work through the pain”, as this can cause further injury.

Any child that is injured while playing sports should be seen immediately to have a medical examination.

Parents and coaches are responsible for knowing and following the rules of the game and to see that all children follow the rules for safety sake.

There should be a safe environment for children to play sports in that includes proper safety equipment, properly working and maintained sports equipment, proper footwear and other safety gear such as helmets, pads, athletic supports and mouth guards. Injuries can be caused by improperly fitting shoes, lack of protection, faulty equipment, unsecured soccer goals, and a poor playing field (holes and uneven ground).

Children should only play after they know and understand the rules of the game, are taught how to play safely and have all properly fitting safety gear. They should know how to use athletic equipment. Children should not play while they are tired or sick. Children should have warm-ups and cool downs as part of the routine for participating in the sport.

Tips for avoiding sports injuries:

Try not to bend your knees past the 90 degrees when doing half knee bends.

Avoid twisting your knees by keeping your feet flat on the ground.

Land with your feet bent while you are jumping.

Do your best not to overdo exercising or playing in games. Take turns playing.

It is vital to wear properly fitting shoes for proper shock absorption and stability.

Run only on flat surfaces, but not on asphalt or concrete.

Read Also

1. General Information About Sports Injuries - It is important for all parents to be aware of some general information about sports injuries before their son or...
2. Preventing Sports Injuries - The best way for any athlete to deal with sports injuries is to avoid getting them. You avoid getting sports...
3. Sports Injuries In Children - Although children are generally more resilient than adults, and usually bounce back much more quickly than older athletes, they are...
4. Protecting Your Teen Athlete - Teens and sports just plain go together. Every Jr. High and High School has sports teams for teen to join....
5. Head Injuries In Sports - Athletes can injure their heads in many ways in most all sports. Injuries can range from concussion, broken nose, and...

One Response to “What Can Parents And Coaches Do To Prevent Sports Injury To Children”

1. Jane says:

   April 30, 2010 at 5:21 pm

   Thanks, this was really interesting. you can never be to careful about sports injuries especially with children. If anyone is interested this Cape Town Orthopaedic Clinic has a great list of all orthopaedic problems and how to recognise and treat them.