How can caregivers strike a balance between playing for fun and fitness and pushing their kids too far?
Across the United States, schools are in session, which also means that students are suiting up for seasonal and year-round sports. Whether they play in recreational leagues, school or travel teams, young athletes are heading to practice and competitive games. One indicator of how committed parents are to kids' sports is money they are spending on them. According to the Aspen Institute's Project Play there has been a 46 percent increase in sports spending over the last five years.
While most people agree that team play is good for children, risk of injury is real. In fact, Stanford Medicine says that over 3.5 million kids under the age of 14 experience a form of injury from participating in sports. Among the most common incidents are sprains and strains, but there are also more serious concerns, such as concussions.
Emanuel D. Lerner, professor of pediatrics, and the section chief of primary care services in the Division of Population Health, Quality, and Implementation Science at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, answers many of the questions that concern parents of student athletes, including a relatively new development in identifying concussions.
As children get involved in sports, what are some tips to protect their growing bodies? Is it okay for kids to participate in multiple sports?
Children should build up their playing over a few weeks under the guidance of a coach who knows the limitations of children. They should follow the recommended number of repetitive moves for each sport, such as the maximum number of pitches for each age group.
Playing multiple sports is a good thing if they are spread out over time. The children that stick to one sport all year have more chronic injuries than children who switch sports throughout the year.
What role can parents play to help their athletes balance sportsmanship and competitiveness?
It is important for parents to set a good example, because children learn from what their parents do, not what their parents say. If a parent shows sportsmanship while watching their child play, then the child will learn to do the same.
How can parents help players protect their mental health when they are under pressure to win?
Parents should teach children that stress and competitiveness can be good and encourage excellence. However, they should also explain that if their children do not win, they can try harder next time. It is not the end of the world. Again, it comes down to how the parent personally manages the child's team losing. Children will emulate the parent's response.
How concerned should parents be about their children getting injured and what steps can be taken to avoid any permanent damage?
In my mind, it is more important for children to be active, because most injuries can be managed. After all, nothing in life is 100 percent safe.
However, there is a significant risk vs. benefit ratio. If a parent and/or child do not tolerate risk well, then running, swimming, and other non-contact sports can be encouraged.
What are the signs of concussions that parents should watch out for? When is it time to go to the hospital?
One of the newer signs of a concussion, which is rather sensitive, is the head shake after the hit. If a child gets up and shakes their head, as if to shake away the blow, it is a good sign that there is a concussion. There should be no return to play if you suspect there is a concussion. If the child is confused, vomiting, or seems to be talking slow, not remembering things, or shows other signs that the parents feel are not the norm for their child, then it is time for a visit to the emergency room (ER).
However, if the ER does not want to do a CAT scan, then you should not push it. Even one CAT scan of the head can increase the risk of a brain tumor. If it must be done to rule out the possibility of bleeding in the brain, then the benefits outweigh the risks.
Students having cardiac episodes during sports occasionally make headlines. How concerned should parents be and what can they do to protect their children?
These are rare events and again, nothing in life is risk free. If there is a family history of sudden cardiac death in a healthy relative (i.e. a marathon runner that died during a marathon, etc), then the child should be evaluated by a cardiologist, to make sure that the child is not at risk.
What are other injuries parents should watch out for and what are the signs that something is serious?
The best advice I have heard is if the child is out on the court or field and playing well, then even if there is some pain or discomfort after playing it is all right to continue. If, however, the child is limping up and down the court or field and cannot perform properly then they should not be there, and they should be evaluated for an injury or illness.
How do you know when a child is ready to advance from recreational level to a higher level of participation in travel and club teams?
This is up to the coach and parents. If the child is already getting injuries in local games, then upping the ante is not a good idea.
Also important is if the child ends up on the podium at the Olympics, they can thank their coach, and their parents first but they should also thank their pediatrician.
