Organized physical activities are great for kids: They keep their bodies moving and help build their confidence.

With sports, kids learn to care for their bodies, be mindful of their thoughts, and develop social skills.

While sports do help build a happier, healthier life, they also come with the risk of injury.

Injuries are not just inconvenient for you and your child. They can also lead to long recovery times, and possible permanent damage.

You can help your kids avoid injury. There are 7 things we recommend parents and guardians consider to help protect their child's musculoskeletal health. 

1. Take breaks for physical and psychological recovery.

Kids should take 1-2 days off a week. Breaks from competitive athletics, sport-specific training, or competitive practice are necessary. This allows time for both physical and psychological recovery. Encourage movement and unstructured free play on your kids' "rest" days.

The National Athletic Trainers’ Association recommends youth athletes limit sports to 16 to 20 hours per week. Other sources suggest that kids only train for as many hours a week as they are old.

We also suggest 1-3 months a year where your kid is not actively training for sports. Let them explore other interests or physical activities that aren’t coached and dictated by rules and adults.

Mixing up their sports helps your kids physically and mentally. It reduces the chance of overuse injury, and improves general fitness, too.

2. Choose the right gear for the best protection.

Helmets for cycling, football, and skiing are a must for protecting your child’s brain.

Purchase and use the protective gear recommended for your kid’s sport. Do they need eye protection, mouth guards, or cups?

Make sure your kid’s athletic shoes are the right size with supportive insoles inside.

3. Strengthen muscles for proper form.

Injury rates are higher in athletes who have not prepared their bodies.

Good form develops a strong movement pattern that reduces excessive strain. Coaches and athletic trainers can guide aerobic conditioning, strength training, and agility conditioning.

Make sure you are knowledgeable about your child’s training program. Understand proper form for avoiding injuries.

4. Increase flexibility for healthy spine and joints.

Make flexibility of the spine and large muscles groups a daily routine. Your child should perform dynamic stretching before athletics and static stretching after sports. 

If your kids aren't doing a warm up, consider teaching them this 5-minute warm-up for injury prevention.

5. Stop activity if there is pain.

Never train into pain. Teach your child to listen to their body.

It’s best to decrease training time and intensity if pain or discomfort develops. Stop training if there is pain.

Speak to a medical professional or athletic trainer. Discuss the possibilities of injury or injury prevention strategies.

6. Stress less for more fun. 

Help your child build character by keeping the focus on fun and skills development. Winning isn’t the most important thing in youth sports.

Reward your kids for trying hard, and for improving their skills. Sports should be FUN. The goal is for kids to practice and enjoy lifelong physical activity and skill development.

7. Watch for signs of burnout.

Look for non-specific muscle or joint problems, fatigue, or a dip in grades. Often, the surest path to burnout is to play the same sport season after season.

If your child is showing signs of burnout, try to avoid the pressure of playing every sport year round. Sit down for a heart-to-heart talk about your child’s sports participation. Decide together to take one season off a year.

Is your child experiencing pain from sports injuries?

Our Aptos chiropractors specialize in pediatric and family chiropractic. Make your appointment online. We’ll do our best to get your kid out of pain, and back into sports.

Are you concerned about your teen suffering from neck or back pain?

Not all pain kids experience is from sports injuries. Check out our blog post that discusses common teenage conditions we observe at our office.