My News 2: keeping your child safe while playing sports

Participating in sports is a great way to keep your children active, introduce them to new activities and help them develop skills and friendship.    

Pushing them too hard to committing them to just one sport too early can cause injuries that could eventually prevent them from playing again. 

Dr. David Geier is the Director of Sports Medicine at MUSC. He joined me on My News 2 to talk about how parents can make sure their children are safe while enjoying sports. 

Extra information below is from the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (© 2010) 

Every parent of a young athlete hopes their child will enjoy playing and get not only the health benefits of sports, but also the sense of pride and accomplishment that comes with being part of a team. However, some kids push their body to the extreme and lose sight of what’s truly important --- their

health! It’s important for us as parents to remember our job includes listening and discussing, in a safe and nonjudgmental way, what our kids are going through. You can use open-ended questions to get your child to talk about what

he or she is feeling.

The following are a few sample questions to ask your

kids about their athletic activity and physical level of

comfort.

• “How was practice today? What kind of drills did you do?

How long did you throw the ball?”

• “What was the most enjoyable part of today’s practice/game?”

• “What did you learn today?”

• “That game was exciting. It looked like you started limping toward the end. What part of your foot is bothering you?” 

Be specific about what you saw.Following up with gentle suggestions may help get more information from your child. For example, “It sounds like you really threw a lot of pitches at practice. Maybe we should just run around the yard, instead of throwing the ball to give your arm a rest.” 

How do I know if my child has an overuse injury?

Be sure to listen for complaints of pain in an overused area, such as the shoulder or elbow. Your child may not notice the pain until using the affected area when resting or sometime after practice or a game. Also notice any changes in how

much your child feels about a sport. “I don’t like pitching any more” may really mean, “My elbow hurts when I pitch.”

Once you have determined that an area is causing pain, look for tenderness and/or swelling over the injured area. If your child cannot move a joint fully, it is important to seek medical care immediately.

Remember to keep the lines of communication open and don’t give up – a lesson every parent and child can hold on to!

Find out more: http://www.stopsportsinjuries.org/