Keeping Sports Safe for Kids

By Stefanie Hamilton

All across America, kids of all ages play sports from PeeWee soccer to high school football. And while minor injuries are inevitable, there are steps that both parents and players can take to minimize minor hurts and prevent major ones.

One of the most effective ways to safeguards against injury is to wear the proper equipment. Every sport has essential elements – in golf it’s the clubs and shoes; in hockey it’s the padding, helmet, and (if you’re the goalie) facemask. Whatever sport you choose, be sure you’re properly outfitted before you hit the field, green, court, or ice.

Headgear

Helmets and other headgear are a part of many organized sports, and even some recreational activities. Everyone would agree that wearing a helmet is important if you’re playing football, or are up to bat in a fast-pitch baseball game. But helmets are also important if you’re biking, skateboarding, inline skating, or snowboarding. Because these sports involve a fair amount of speed, there’s greater risk for head injuries.

When choosing a helmet, make sure it’s made for your particular sport. Believe it or not, it makes a difference. A bike helmet, for example, is designed differently than a helmet that’s made for hockey, and it won’t protect you from a hard slapshot when you’re out on the ice.

A helmet should be comfortable, but fit tightly enough that it doesn’t move around.

Footwear

Improper footwear is the cause of many injuries. If your shoes don’t fit properly or are too worn, your feet – and therefore your entire body – won’t get the necessary support. Poorly fitted shoes or shoes that are too old can cause not only foot issues but back and leg problems as well. Some of the problems can be serious, so it’s important that you be properly fitted for a new pair of shoes when you first start playing sports, and that you replace your shoes often.

Eyewear

Just like with helmets, different eye protection is designed for different sports. Goggles worn during racquetball aren’t the same as those worn when swimming. The best kind of eyewear is made of polycarbonate – a very strong kind of plastic.

If you wear glasses, you may be tempted to use them as your “eye protection,” but they’re not strong enough to really protect you. You’ll need to look into getting either prescription protective eyewear or contacts that will allow you to wear regular protective eyewear.

Knee, Shin, Wrist, and Elbow Pads

Protecting your legs and arms, especially the joints, is important. Depending on which sport you play, you may need all of these, or just one or two. In soccer, for example, shin guards are most commonly worn. Hockey players, as you can probably imagine, use them all!

Wrist guards often get overlooked, but they will protect your wrists from getting twisted or strained and can help prevent breaks as well.

The Warm-Up

Once you’re properly outfitted for your sport, you’re ready to go out and play, right? Well, almost. Before you actually start playing, you’ll want to take five to 10 minutes to warm up. Your warm-up can be a brisk walk or light jog, or even jumping rope. It needs to be something simple and low-intensity that gets your blood flowing and loosens your muscles.

Stretching is often recommended before exercising or playing a sport, but you need to be careful. If you stretch too aggressively when your muscles aren’t warmed up, you could cause an injury. Ideally, stretching should be done after a game or a workout as a way to cool the muscles down, help them relax, and keep them from becoming too stiff or sore.

If You Do Get Hurt …

Despite your best efforts, the reality is that you may still get injured when playing sports. If that happens, give yourself plenty of time to heal. If you try to play again too soon, you could reinjure yourself, and the injury could be worse. Seek advice from a doctor, physical trainer, or physical therapist on how best to heal and how you can know when you’re ready to play again.

If the injury is bad enough, you may need some physical therapy. Again, follow your doctor’s advice on this.

While there are risks to playing sports, there’s a lot of fun to be had as well. Sports are great and enjoyable ways to get some exercise, meet new people, and improve coordination and self-confidence. So get out there, be safe, and play hard!

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