How Can Parents Prevent Their Children from Sustaining Sports-Related Injuries this Summer?
Kids look forward to summer vacation each year, and many sign up to participate in summer sports. Individual and team sports are a great way to keep your child active and to encourage healthy habits. While summer sports are fun and encouraged, they can sometimes result in serious child injuries. According to a recent article from Philly.com, there are a number of steps that parents can take to help ensure that their kids stay happy and healthy this summer while engaging in athletic activities.
You should ensure that your child is prepared for hot summer weather. Many summer sports teams practice and play outdoors, and especially at midday, the heat can be intense. Be sure that your child attends practices and games with sufficient water and weather-appropriate clothing. As the article explains, “it is a good idea to send along one or even two water bottles to help your child stay hydrated before, during, and after activity.” Also, make sure that your child always brings along any medications that she or he requires during the day.
In addition, and perhaps most important, encourage your children to tell you if they get hurt or if they are in pain. Many injuries occur or worsen when kids think that they need to play through the pain. If your child knows that he or she can come to you or a coach concerning an injury or pain that may be linked to athletic activity, it will increase the possibility or likelihood your child receives proper medical treatment.
Learning More About Sports Injuries
What do you need to know about sports injuries? A fact sheet from Johns Hopkins Medicine cites the following statistics:
- 5 million kids aged 14 and younger sustain injuries each year from sports and other recreational activities;
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are the leading cause of sports injury deaths;
- Sports and other recreational activities result in about 21% of all traumatic brain injuries sustained by children in the U.S. each year;
- About half of all sports-related TBIs occur in bicycling, skateboarding, and skating;
- Most sports injuries that require treatment in an emergency department result from falls, being struck by an object, collisions (with another player or object), and overexertion;
- Children between the ages of 5 and 14 sustain the most injuries playing sports, on a playground, or on a bicycle; and
- Most (62%) of sports-related injuries occur during practice, and not during a game.
We hope you and your children have a safe and healthy summer! In the unfortunate event that your child gets hurt while playing sports this summer, contact a child injury lawyer to learn more about your child’s rights.
