Depending on your child's sports involvement, injury may be a year-round concern for you. But, while you may not be 100% able to prevent your child from getting hurt, there's still a lot you can do to make sure your child stays healthy. Here are 9 tips to help prevent sports injury:
Gear up. First and foremost, always be sure your children are protected accordingly. Helmets, gloves, elbow pads, knee pads, etc.—even if a particular piece of equipment isn't required, it might be a good idea to use supplemental gear, dependent upon the sport.
Use proper technique. While this may be more of a responsiblity of coaches, proper technique can prevent a lot of injuries. In sports that require quick changes of direction, there's a right way and wrong way to cut back and forth without risking knee, foot, and hip injuries. In contact sports like football, leading with the head when tacking, for instance, can result in severe injury, even death. If it seems your child is dealing with consistently the same aches and pains (beyond what would be expected) talk to their coaches about whether they're using the right technique.
Condition the muscles. It's likely your child's coaches already incorporate this into practice time, but conditioning drills will help to strengthen the essential muscle groups for the sport, thus helping to prevent injury.
Take breaks. No sports practice, youth or adult, should be a marathon. Scheduled breaks allow the athletes to rehydrate and rest their muscles long enough to lower the risk of injury.
Don’t play through pain. It's those age-old sports mottos—"tough it up" or "walk it off"—that sound glorious, but mostly just enhance the chances of your child suffering long-term damage.
Stay hydrated. Muscle is composed of more than 70% water. Staying hydrated is one of the most basic yet vital components of athletics. Make sure your child understands this.
Stretch. The old-school methodology was to stretch BEFORE physical activity. Science tells us, however, that it's best to use stretching as part of your cool-down, as it increases flexibility and reduces the degree of soreness the following day. Your child's coaches may already incorporate stretching at the end of practice, but if they don't, make sure to equip your child with a post-practice stretch routine.
Eat right. Getting your child to eat healthy every day may be one of the hardest tasks of parenting. But, in the very least, be sure your children are intaking appropriate amounts of protein and carbohydrates, as well as recovery nutrients like B vitamins and potassium.
Take time off. The off-season doesn't exist just because the weather changes. It's also a good time for your child to rest their body, or pursue other less strenuous activities.