According to the Aspen Institute’s Project Play, youth and high school sports are becoming increasingly popular with over 61 percent of school-age children participating in some sort of sports activities. It’s a trend that’s not only about competition, but also about helping to build healthy communities through sports. However, with increased involvement in sports activities comes a corresponding increase in the occurrence of sports-related injuries among children.
Statistics offered by the CoachSafely® Foundation, which seeks to limit youth sports-related injuries through research, advocacy, and education, show that:
– Over 3.5 million children aged 14 and younger sustain injuries each year while playing sports or partaking in recreational activities.
– Approximately 21 percent of all traumatic brain injuries in American children are as a result of sports and recreational activities.
– Almost half of head injuries in sports or recreational activities generally happen during activities like bicycling, skateboarding, or skating.
– Sports-related injuries lead to over 775,000 children, aged 14 and younger, undergoing treatment in hospital emergency rooms every year. Most of these injuries are caused by falls, collision with an object, collisions with other players, or overexertion during unplanned or casual sports activities.
Gautham Yagnik, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon and team physician for both the Florida Panthers and Miami Dolphins, hopes to see a reduction in these numbers as more awareness is created about injury prevention in youth sports.
Today, there’s a more heightened awareness and focus on injuries in football which has led some parents questioning the sport’s viability for their kids. Dr. Yagnik maintains that while there are inherent risks in every sport, the benefits of physical activity and teamwork obtained from sports generally outweigh the drawback of sedentary lifestyle.
Dr. Yagnik points out that more research and understanding regarding concussions helps us prevent and treat them effectively. This has led to significant advancements in football safety such as the development of innovative helmet designs to minimize the frequency and severity of concussions. He believes that the introduction of position-specific helmets designed for individual position groups to meet their specific needs is an exciting development in the world of sports safety.
For parents with children in youth football programs, Dr. Yagnik recommends considering three crucial aspects:
1. Conditioning: Ensuring that your child is physically conditioned and possesses good cardiovascular health is important. As children grow older, they must prepare for the forthcoming season by participating in on-field conditioning programs and carrying out strengthening exercises in a gym.
2. Heat: Heat illness is a serious concern in certain areas such as South Florida. Parents need to be aware of its impact on their children, especially for sports like football which are usually played early in Fall. Hydration and proper rest are imperative.
3. Equipment: It is important that children have their own well-fitting equipment. Sharing equipment with friends or siblings is not recommended.
By keeping these three factors in mind, Dr. Yagnik believes children should be able to participate in the sports season without significant injuries. In case your child does experience an injury, the medical team at Baptist Health Orthopedic Care is equipped with the most advanced technologies and trained in the latest techniques that sports medicine has to offer.
