Students are back in the classroom and, for many, back in the pool, on the courts, on the track, on the mats, on the fields and in the weight room.
Angie L. Curtis, MD
While you may be excited to reunite with your team and get back to your sports routine, this is also a time to consider sports safety and take precautions to reduce the risk of injury.
“Kids tend to think they're invincible, but they're still at risk for injury,” says Angie L. Curtis, MD, a pediatric sports medicine specialist at UT Physicians.
Curtis recommends a planned return to sport, as nutrition, hydration, strength and fitness may be off track after the summer break.
Resume activities
Students who take a break from sports over the summer are at risk for overuse injuries if they return to activity too soon.
“Any period of inactivity will result in a decline in fitness, so it's important to progress slowly and steadily when returning to sports,” Curtis says. “Especially in middle school athletes, whose bones are still immature and more susceptible to fractures, while players in their later teens are more susceptible to injuries to ligaments and tendons.”
Take time to warm up
Another important aspect of sports safety is to always start with stretching and a gentle warm-up. Using cold muscles at full speed puts undue stress on the body and increases the risk of injury.
Focus on food and fluids
An often overlooked aspect of performance is nutrition and hydration – what you put into your body is the fuel it needs to function at your best.
For young athletes who train and perform outdoors, sports safety means prioritizing hydration not only the day before a game or practice, but also in the days or weeks before spending an extended period of time outdoors, Curtis says.
“This is especially necessary for football players who train outdoors wearing heavy equipment, and they need to ensure that their hydration is optimal,” Curtis says. “The overall 24-hour hydration balance is set a few days in advance. A well-hydrated athlete reduces the risk of heat stroke and heat exhaustion.”
The same concept applies to nutrition.
“They need the right balance of protein, carbohydrates and fats, which will affect their performance and energy levels,” Curtis said. “Student-athletes tend to need more calories than the average student, which needs to come from healthy foods.”
Prioritize rest and recovery
If student-athletes don't have summer breaks, they have school, club and away sports happening throughout the year, so it's important to get some rest between teams and activities.
“Children need at least one day off per week,” Curtis says, “and any practice or competition time per week that is longer than their age increases their risk of injury.”
Rest days are an essential part of sports safety and should be part of your exercise schedule.
Proper fit
When growing teenagers return to sports, everything from racquet size to shoe size needs to be remeasured.
Wearing or using ill-fitting equipment can cause abnormal use and stress on your body.
“The rapid growth is out there, so you don't want to do anything based on outdated information,” Curtis said.
Let's chase the fun
Ultimately, warming up, nourishing yourself, staying hydrated, resting and staying safe with the right equipment will lay the foundations for a successful season, and Curtis stresses that above all else, it's important to ensure the enjoyment of the sport isn't compromised.
