Can youth sports injuries be prevented?
Most sports injuries can be prevented, even predicted! The first step in preventing sports injuries is finding out why sports injuries occur. Sports injuries may be caused by: • Individual risk factors (such as medical conditions) • Inadequate physical exams before participating (every child should get a sports-specific physical exam before each season) • Lack of pre-season conditioning • Lack of safety equipment, or poorly fitted, improper equipment • Lack of proper eye protection • Teaming up by age instead of size • Unsafe playing fields, or surfaces • Improper training or coaching, or lack of instruction • Fatigue • Not warming up, cooling down and stretching properly • Playing while injured • Stress and inappropriate pressure to win • Temperature • Poor nutrition or hydration More resources: • Check out this excellent guide from the National Institutes of Health on Childhood Sports Injuries and Their Prevention. It has tips on treating and avoiding sports injuries, and even has “s
