Today, there are a lot of demands placed upon youth athletes. Many are participating in different sports all year round, which naturally increases their risk for injury. How can these young athletes protect themselves from getting hurt?

Sara Barr, Riverside Healthcare’s Head Athletic Trainer and Outreach Coordinator, offers helpful advice for athletes, parents, and coaches.

Common Sports Injuries

Common injuries among student athletes include strains and sprains, ACL tears, rotator cuff problems, overuse injuries (tendonitis, shin splints, stress fractures), and trauma-based contact injuries like concussion. Different types of sports often result in different types of injuries. For example, football, soccer, and hockey are likely to produce contact-based injuries, whereas something like volleyball often results in ankle sprains or ACL tears due to the quick movements required.

In some cases, it’s readily apparent that a student needs to be seen by an athletic trainer. Other cases are not so clear cut. Barr states that the rule of thumb is to reach out for professional help if an injury is keeping you from doing what you want.

“We usually rate pain on a scale of one to ten, with ten being you have to go to the emergency room. If you’re above an eight for any period of time, that’s probably something you should get looked at,” she notes.

Upon evaluation, athletic trainers will form a plan to get athletes back to their sport. This might be as simple as advising rest, ice, and stretching or as complex as getting various specialties involved.

“We have physical therapy, occupational therapy, aquatics, a whole bunch of things,” adds Barr. “After that, we do have the fitness center that provides an opportunity for strength and conditioning, which is something you likely need to return to play and get back to performing at your highest level.”

Injury Prevention Strategies

Injury prevention is a multifaceted strategy. Barr says it’s important to maintain physical activity and regular stretching, even if not participating in a sport at the moment. Eating a healthy diet and staying hydrated are also essential.

“It doesn’t sound like something that would keep you from getting injured, but it definitely is because your body is 80% water. So, if you don’t have the fluid you need to make your body move, or you don’t have the ‘good’ calories to fuel your body, you’re not going to be doing things the right way,” she cautions.

Another key strategy is to participate in multiple sports throughout the year, rather than focusing on one singular activity. This can be difficult for athletes (and parents) to accept, especially if they really excel in one sport over another and are hopeful for either a collegiate or professional career. However, putting all the effort into one activity can raise risk of injury, particularly overuse injuries.

“Make sure you’re doing right by your student athletes. We want to keep them safe and healthy. We don’t want to hold them out of sports,” urges Barr.

At the very least, Barr advises implementing some form of cross training. “I always recommend cross training. That is, doing something that isn’t necessarily your sport so you use all the muscles you need for what you want to excel in. Get into a strength and conditioning program or do something on your own. You may also want to work on speed and agility, depending on what sport you’re doing.”

For more information about orthopedic services at Riverside click here.