Overuse Injuries: A New Report from theAmerican Academy of Pediatrics
You may have heard things like this before: Some kids playing organized sports today are in danger of over training, getting injured and burning out. Plus, 70% of all kids playing organized sports drop out by the time they’re 13.
But this time, those points are from a new report from the American Association of Pediatrics (AAP). When my kids were little we trusted our pediatrician. I’m sure you do too. Your pediatrician may not have been a part of the creation of this report. But someone else’s trusted pediatrician was. I'm paying attention to it and I hope you do, too.
None of us think that our child is going to fall into any of those categories, but please don't dismiss this report. I’ve been involved in youth sports for over 25 years and I’ve seen too many kids with serious overuse injuries and too many kids quit playing before they should have.
The report has a lot to digest, but in my blog today, I’d like to focus on one area of the report: overuse injuries.
An estimated 50% of all sports-related injuries in kids result from overuse. That’s right, half of the injuries in kids sports are not from collisions or falls or getting hit with a baseball. Strains, sprains, fatigue, pain, are all symptoms of overuse injuries.
A few years ago, Dr. Frank Gryzlo, the head orthopedist of the Cubs, did an injury prevention seminar at Bash. I remember vividly his saying, “These are not little adults. They are children and their growing bodies respond very differently than adult bodies do to training.”
All bodies need time to recover after a rigorous workout, as I’m sure you have experienced firsthand. But young, growing bodies are especially vulnerable to the stress that tough workouts place on bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments and other tissues. Aggressive training schedules can push kids past reasonable limits, opening the door for injuries that, in some cases, may even require surgery.
I was lucky. When I was coaching at the 10U level, the grandfather of one of my players was John Duff, a noted pediatric orthopedic surgeon who had written a book on youth sports injuries. He was the first to acquaint me with repetitive use injuries that can occur in young ballplayers. My son was a catcher. Dr. Duff's warning that a catcher’s constant kneeling and getting back up can lead to knee injury helped me create a policy that no player on any of my teams was allowed to catch more than 3 innings in a game until they turned 13 (a source of constant war with my son.)
Is your young player heading into the “too much training” zone? The AAP report suggests young athletes take at least one to two days off a week from competition and sport-specific training, and 2 to 3 months a year away from a specific sport, to help them recover physically and psychologically. But, it’s important to remember that each child is different and even if your child’s training schedule seems reasonable there are other factors that can make him/her vulnerable to overuse injuries.
They specialize in one sport or activity that repetitively stresses specific areas of the body.
They don't take in enough calories and nutrients to help their bodies recover.
They don't learn healthy techniques and movements during training or practice.
They don't warm up gradually and stretch properly after working out.
Their body-mass index is relatively high, placing extra stress on muscles and joints.
They don't get enough sleep to recharge their bodies.
They tend to be hard on themselves if they don't perform well.
They fear what will happen if they slow down or worry about being forced off the team.
Remember, overuse injuries might not always show obvious signs like swelling or bruising, so you might not even realize your child needs medical care. Be on the lookout for pain. Pain is the alarm bell, not something to try to mask
Sports are random and chaotic and injuries are always a possibility. Doing all you can to prevent overuse issues keeps your child off the bench and in the game they love.