Age, maturity, equipment and supervision play a key role in helping kids participate safely in athletics. Parents can help make these activities a positive experience for children by knowing the causes of sports injuries and how to prevent them.
Physical checkups
Make sure your child is physically fit to participate in a particular sport. Your pediatrician should do a pre-participation physical exam, because he or she knows your child’s medical history best. Exams generally include height, weight and vital signs, plus checks of the eyes, nose, ears, chest and abdomen.
Start at the right age
Parents should allow children to participate based on:
• Age.
• Weight.
• Physical development.
• Emotional development.
• Child’s interest in the sport.
Use proper equipment
Safety gear, including shoes, should be activity-specific, the correct size and fit well. Gear may include goggles, mouth guards, pads and helmets. For example, kids should wear helmets for baseball, softball, bicycle riding and hockey. They also should wear helmets while they’re skating or riding scooters.
Playing fields should be well maintained. High-impact sports, like basketball and running, should be done on surfaces like wooden basketball courts and tracks, which can be more forgiving than concrete.
Supervision is key to safety
Qualified adults should supervise your child’s team sport or activity. It’s important that your child is taught how to play the sport before going out on the field.
Coaches should have training in first aid and CPR. Children should be prepared with warm-ups and training sessions before practices and games. Be sure the coach enforces playing rules and requires the use of safety equipment. A coach with a win-at-all-costs attitude may wrongly encourage kids to play through injury and not foster good sportsmanship.
Hydration
Children should drink fluids before, during and after each practice or game. To avoid stomach cramps from drinking large amounts of fluids at once, encourage your child to drink about one cup of water or sports drink every 15 to 20 minutes.
Injuries happen
It doesn’t matter what the sport or activity is, kids are at risk for injuries. A medical professional can offer guidance so you know when it’s safe for your child to return to regular activities. Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin offers the only full-service sports medicine program in the state that is just for kids, including a new Concussion Clinic where children who have sustained a concussion can be evaluated. For more information, visit www.chw.org/sportsmedicine.
FAST FACT: The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children begin participating in team sports at age 6, when they better understand teamwork.
Kevin Walter, MD, is program director of Pediatric and Adolescent Sports Medicine at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, and an assistant professor of Orthopedics (Pediatrics) at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Dr. Walter also sees patients at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin Clinics-Greenway located west of I-894 and one block south of Oklahoma Avenue.