Childrens_Sports_Injuries

Children's Sports Injuries Abstract Sports are an instrumental part of childhood. Parents have made a habit of taking kids from practice to practice all year long. Pick a season and head to a park or gym and you will see many children partaking in many different sports. Practices and games have been as big of part of childhood as homework and birthday parties. With these sports comes pressure to perform as well as undue pressure and unrealistic expectations from parents. Injuries have always been a part of sports, but now we are not just looking at scraped knees, bumps and bruises. Injuries are becoming more serious and more common as children’s sports are being played at a higher level than ever before. Club teams and year round competition have taken youth sports to a new dynamic, and sports injuries in kids are resembling those injuries we see in top adult athletes. These injuries however are more detrimental in children as it halters their growth and development. This paper will provide an overview of youth sports injuries, examine factors that contribute to them and also take a closer look at the treatment and prevention of children’s sports injuries. Further examination of the social pressures and team dynamics that have changed over the past few decades will also be visited. Social Pressures of Sports The social norms of sports performance and expectation have varied through generations. Moving from an era in which childhood sports were considered a simple pleasure and not purely based off of performance and statistics. Sports teach lessons in winning and losing, with the pressure of winning being one of the first true pressures that some children feel. As children get accustomed to coaching and being coached, there coaches are some of the first people that apply pressure to them. Many sports psychologists have studied the effects of coaching and the amount of training coaches have become a factor. In youth sports, coaches have a wide variety of training. In a study by Barnett, Smith, and Smoll (2002), they concluded that coaches who were given sport specific anxiety training were perceived more positively by their player than coaches who were not. Since most youth coaches do not receive any kind of formal training, children are more susceptible to undue pressure from coaches. Sport specialization also plays on the pressure children feel when it comes to sports. The growth of club teams and emphasis on year round competition has put pressure on kids to perform. The hours that club or travel teams demand on kids are far more than that of traditional recreational leagues. The time commitment is definitely a factor when it comes to pressure that students feel. In a study by Cary, Comeraw, and Dotinga (2004) Alvin Rosenfield, a New York psychologists who specializes in adolescence, says that structured sports time has doubled while family dinners have been cut by a third and family vacations have decreased 28 percent. The time commitment puts pressure of children’s regular habits and can affect them in other areas such as academics, nutrition, and sleep. Parental Influence Parental Influence also can be a factor when it comes the injuries sustained in youth sports. Some parents tend to vicariously live through their children and athletic performance can be a measure of success to the parent. Parents shape a child’s psychological development through their involvement in a child’s athletic experience (Cote & Hay 2002). The pressure to perform can drive kids to overuse and cause various injuries. Parental influence and unrealistic expectations lead to negative feelings towards sports and put kids in a poor mental state, where they would use improper form and technique. In a study of coaches (Gould, Lauer, Rolo, Jannes, & Sie Pennisi, 2004), it was perceived that 36% of parents hurt their child’s development. On a more positive, note it was reported that 59% of parents were perceived to have a positive influence on their child’s development. Common problems caused by parents are: o Overemphasizing winning o Holding unrealistic expectations o Coaching one’s own child o Criticizing one’s own child o Pampering his or her child too much Though parents may not directly cause the injuries to the children they are a factor and can play a role in causing and treating injuries. By fostering a fun, healthy, competitive environment, parents can help reduce injuries. Frequency and Causes of Injuries Injuries are a part of sports, and in youth sports injuries can have long-term effects on a child’s physical and mental development. The frequency of injuries has been studied many times and some of the findings by Patel & Nelson (2004) show: o 48% of youth sport athletes have been found to have at least one injury during an athletic season. o 65% of injuries in youth sports are minor. o Overuse injuries (e.g., tendonitis) are more common than acute injuries (e.g., fractures). The effects on children’s injuries are felt harder than those of adults for many reasons. Injuries can have adverse effects on growth plates at the critical times that kids are still growing. Children are also constantly developing their motor skills, injuries and time away can slow kid’s progress. It is important for adults to monitor and care for their child’s injuries no matter how minor it may seem. From most studies, the most common types of serious injuries are those that come from overuse. Across the country there is more and more emphasis on sports specialization. Many children are playing one sport all year round hoping to maximize their potential and hopefully earn a college scholarship or go professional. The odds of an athlete even getting a college scholarship are low. It would be more beneficial for young athletes to play multiple sports, and would also reduce the number of overuse injuries. Overuse injuries include tendonitis, stress fractures, and patellofemoral stress syndrome of the knee (Taft, 1991). During exercise, the cells and tissues in the body are damaged; the body can easily repair this damage. When cells breakdown, they need recovery time to be repaired by the body. If exercise persists without rest, especially with continuous pounding of the same muscles and joints, overuse injuries start becoming a factor. Taft (1991) has shown factors that can cause overuse injuries. They include: o Training Errors o Playing surface o Muscle imbalance and weakness o Anatomic Malalignments o Growth o Other Diseases o Shoes/Equipment There are many factors and causes in children’s sports injuries. Coaches and parents need to be aware of them and understand which ones are in their control and which factors are not. Prevention As coaches and parents become concerned with children’s sports injuries, they need to take the possible steps in preventing them. There are steps that can be taken to help reduce injuries among the youth. The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons and The American Academy of Sports Medicine (Richards, 1995), recommend the following steps: o Group young athletes according to size and skill level, rather than chronological age o Urge children to be in proper physical shape to play sport o Wear appropriate protective gear o Always warm up before playing o Avoid sports when tired or in pain Children should take an athletic physical by a doctor each year to ensure they are healthy enough for athletic competition. Coaches can set up an atmosphere of safety by taking the time to emphasize safety during practices and games. Coaches should take practice seriously, by taking a relax attitude during practice and only emphasizing games the risks of injuries go up; according to Alan Korn, director of public policy for Safe Kids Worldwide in Washington D.C., 62% of injuries in organized sports occur in practice rather than games (Brodie, 2005). Make sure kids are getting plenty of sleep, kids sleeping less than 10 hours reported more cases of injuries than kids that do not (Brodie, 2005). Listen to your kids; if they report soreness or fatigue, they need rest, do not hesitate to sit them out. Make sure athletes have extended periods of time off from certain sports, the American Academy of Orthopedic surgeons say kids who play only one sport are likely to have repetitive stress on still growing bones and muscles (Brodie, 2005). Athletes playing sports year round are seeing more and more serious injuries. Dr. James Andrews, a leading sports orthopedist, recommends at least 3 months off from any overhand throwing sport to reduce the risk of serious arm injuries (Pennington, 2005). Treatment Even with prevention measures being taken, injuries are a part of the sports. When they occur, it is important that they are prevented properly to reduce the risks of re-injury or long-term problems. Though there is not a great deal of research on treating childhood injuries, there are common themes that are repeated. When dealing with kids, coaches and parents should be extra careful and make sure they are doing everything possible for a rapid recovery. When an injury occurs, a first responder should be available. The first responder can be an athletic trainer, a doctor, or somebody with CPR certification. Be extra cautious with head and neck injuries to not move the child and call medical assistance right away. With minor injuries, rest is the best medicine. The R.I.C.E. method is a good guide on treating minor injuries, it includes: o R – Rest o I – Ice o C – Compression o E – Elevation All injuries, no matter how minor or major, should be looked at by a medical professional and kids should be pain and symptom free for at least a week before returning to competition. Conclusion Injuries have occurred in sports as long as sports have existed. Childhood injuries have changed over the years as sports become more and more serious. The high price of college scholarships and raising salaries in professional sports has tempted parents and coaches to push children harder than ever before. As kids are getting pushed harder, the risks and severity of injuries are becoming higher and higher. Now, more than ever, coaches and parents need to be aware of the causes, types, prevention, and treatment of children’s sports injuries. Many studies showed that young athletes that specialize in one sport are more susceptible to serious sports injuries. Encouraging young athletes to play multiple sports will not only reduce the chances of injuries, but also allow kids to try different sports and have more fun. By educating coaches and parents and setting realistic expectations for children, we can prolong and improve young people’s athletic careers.