MANY sports have inherent dangers that put young athletes at risk for severe injuries from sprains, fractures, even head and neck injuries and sometimes damage to the brain or spinal cord, even with rigorous training and proper safety equipment.
Severe and or shattering injuries usually occurs in a wide range of sports and recreational activities, as such, contact sports, including martial arts, boxing wrestling, football, swimming, cheerleading, and gymnastics are some of the few sports where young athletes are put into risk of severe injuries.
Whether an injury is acute or due to overuse, athletes who develop symptoms that persist or that affect their performance should be examined by a doctor. Untreated injuries could lead to permanent damage or disability.
In some cases, because athletes downplay their symptoms in order to continue playing. Coaches and parents should be aware of the more common signs of injury, as such, feeling pain during activities, changes in form or technique, feeling pain at night, and decreased interest in practices or training.
Because treatment of injuries will depend upon the severity of the injury, which may include physical therapy, strengthening exercises, and bracing, more serious injuries may also require imaging tests, such as x-ray’s to evaluate the bones and tissues and may also require surgery.
It is also important that athlete/s, parents, and coaches, to understand that depending on the type of injury and required treatment, a young athlete may not be able to return to the game at the same level of play-no matter how much effort is put into rehabilitation.
The same should be understood that injuries must be completely healed before an athlete returns to a sport activity. In case of joint problems for example athletes should not feel pain, no swelling, and have a full range of motion, and normal strength, and for cases of concussion for example, a player must have no symptoms at rest or with exercise and should be cleared by the appropriate medical provider before returning to play.
Injury prevention for young athletes requires specific sport training. Many injuries can be prevented with regular conditioning that begins prior to competitions, as injuries often occur when athletes suddenly increase training duration, intensity, and frequency of activity. Thus, young athletes should gradually increase activity levels to slowly build physical and mental back up to a higher fitness level.