Millions of kids play a sport every single day in America, and whether your child is in the middle of another high school football season or they are getting to know their youth soccer teammates, we all hope that our child makes it through the sports season without injury. And while injuries are not 100 percent preventable, there are a number of things you and your child can do to greatly reduce their risk of a sports injury.
As a shoulder specialist, we regularly talk with parents about some of the ways they can help their child avoid a shoulder injury when they are involved in sports. In today’s blog, we share some of those tips for avoiding youth shoulder injuries during athletics.
Helping Kids Avoid Shoulder Injuries
If you have a young athlete, you’ll want to keep these tips in mind if you want to reduce their risk of developing a painful and potentially season-ending shoulder injury.
- Get Gear That Fits – Your child is probably growing pretty quickly during this stage of life, so those shoulder pads they wore last year may not fit right this year. It’s very important that your child has protective equipment that fits them correctly. If the gear is too small or too large, it may not provide the right level of protection. Don’t assume that last year’s protective gear will fit correctly, and have a trainer or coach help with equipment fitting if you have questions.
- Form Is Crucial – Instilling proper athletic form is essential for preserving the long term health of your child’s shoulder. If they lead with their shoulder and put their head down when tackling, they could dislocate their shoulder or suffer a more significant spine injury. Similarly, if their throwing motion is inefficient, they may be putting excessive strain on their shoulder joint. Help them learn proper form and technique for their sport so that normal athletic movements don’t increase their risk of an injury.
- Don’t Overdo It – You need to be mindful of the amount of stress you’re putting on your child’s body. If they’re practicing or playing games every night of the week or playing multiple games on a weekend, it’s a recipe for injury and athlete burnout. Your athlete has youth on their side, but that doesn’t mean they are immune from repetitive strain injuries. Recovering after athletic performance is just as important for their success as an athlete as their next practice, so don’t ignore crucial recovery periods.
- Stretching – Make sure your young athlete takes a few minutes to help their body prepare for the activity and the physical stress that’s to come. Have them focus on their arms, legs, knees, hips and neck. Stretching helps ease your soft tissues into activity, which can reduce the likelihood that they are overloaded when the game begins.
- Preseason Conditioning – Your athlete should start preparing for the season well before tryouts or the first practice. If they go from limited activity to two-a-day practices or a grueling afterschool workout, they are at risk of an overstress injury. To help their body prepare for this increased stress and to give them a leg up on the competition, start a sport-specific training program a couple weeks ahead of the start of the season.
- Crosstrain – Finally, consider working in some crosstraining exercises during the offseason or even as part of your in-season training. Even if your child is pretty committed to one sport, they could benefit from doing some exercises that target some muscle groups that aren’t used as heavily during their favorite sport. It’s the same reason why you hear of college football players taking dance class or yoga – they are working to improve different muscle groups that will help them become a better overall athlete. Don’t just always do heavy lifts in the weight room, pursue some crosstraining exercises like yoga, swimming, resistance band training or agility workouts to limit overtraining specific muscle groups and to develop other areas that will only help make you a better athlete.
Keep these tips in mind and be sure to treat any new or worsening shoulder issues that your child is dealing with. For more information, or for help with a specific shoulder concern, connect with Dr. Holloway’s office today at (865) 410-7887.
