Top 3 Ways To Prevent Kids Sports Injuries

No one wants to see a young athlete get hurt. That's why it's always a good idea to stay educated and prepared for what might cause an injury. In this video, Andrea Benton from Raisingboys.TV, a mom of two boys, interviews sports medicine pediatrician Dr. Kristin Houghton from the Kids Physio Group on how to prevent sports injuries in young athletes.

You might be wondering what some of the most common types of sports injuries to young athletes are. The answer to that question is largely going to depend on the sport your young athlete plays. For example, it’s not really a secret that concussions are a common sports injury for football players. A few ways to mitigate concussion risk are to reduce contact in practice, ensure young athletes use the right gear and teach young athletes proper tackling technique. If you think a young athlete has sustained a concussion for any reason, don’t hesitate. Bring them to a hospital. Concussions are serious head injuries and need to be treated as such.

For soccer players, ACL injuries are definitely a major concern. These injuries are painful, often require months of physical therapy to recover from and, in many cases, require surgery. Though they are indeed devastating sports injuries, the good news is, around 88 percent of ACL injuries can be prevented. You just need to arm yourself with the right knowledge (which is why you came here, of course). Preseason training is a big part of the formula because it allows young athletes time to work their way up to intense exercise rather than just jumping in. Also, proper warmups, such as the PEP warmup, are essential to preventing ACL injuries.

If your young athlete plays baseball and pitches, you’re going to want to look out for elbow and arm injuries. Pitching at the youth level is a lot like chocolate; fine in moderation, but can lead to health issues if enjoyed in excess. A good rule of thumb is to limit young pitchers to fewer than 100 pitches per week. Studies show that anything more can lead to injury. In addition, there are some types of pitches, such as curveballs and sliders, that are much tougher on arm tendons. These advanced pitches should be saved for older age groups and higher competition levels.

For more info on sports injury prevention to young athletes, watch the video above!