On weekends, every park and playground is clustered with a number of children playing their favourite games. Among those children enjoying their favourite sport are the little ones as well, who are just at the beginners stage. These kids who are trying to explore their sports talent are prone to many sports injuries as well. So, as parents it becomes a responsibility for you to make sure that their sporty adventures are not hindered by any kind of injuries.

Sports Injuries: 11 Tips to prevent

Here are some of the tips to help you secure your sporty kid from injuries:

Don’t play just one sport

When you kid begins to explore the sportsman in him, he may develop interest in a particular sports. It’s good to focus on one’s interest, but this may lead to some common injuries such as repeated stress  and overuse. This restricts the use of various muscles and hinders the complete growth of the kid. So focus on introducing the kid to different sports, so that he may develop his motor skills variantly. Puberty stands as the best time to focus on one sports.

Allow them to take enough rest and recovery time everyday

The body of a kid is still growing, so it demands enough rest and recovery time to be fit to play again. If they don’t rest and don’t give their body enough time to recover, they may remain tired and witness lack of enthusiasm and energy in them. This may lead to overuse and weariness and some injuries as well.

Warm ups

Proper warm up before playing a sport can help you kid and his little body get into the play mood. It warms up the muscles as playing any sport with cold muscles can turn out to be an invitation to injuries. 10-15 minutes of proper warmup eases out the risk of ALC. ALC injuries can be a restriction for the player for nearly nine months and also increases the risk of suffering from arthritis in the later years of life.

Interest in the sports

Ummm, if you kid seems unwilling to play or starts finding excuses to not carry on with the game, may be he is not able to handle the physical demands and this sport is putting him under pressure. When your kid starts looking at any sport like a part of daily routine than a fun activity. It may lead to breakdown of the body. So, to avoid any such condition, we must make sure that the child is physically and emotionally into the game and is having fun.

Healthy diet

Safe eating habits is one of the most important factors for a healthy and fit life. So, give your little one a rich diet full of fruits, vegetables, proteins and vitamins. This not only improves their health and help them grow faster but also provide enough energy to play the sport. Every sport demands a particular amount of nutrition, make sure you provide you kid with proper nutrition, so that they can play their game with full efforts and grab the fun and health benefits.

Use of proper equipments

When your kid has just started playing and learning, you must make sure that he gets the proper equipments, so as to play safe. Now, if he plays football with a hard ball, it may hurt his leg. So, you need to provide him a good football that is appropriate for his age group. The same applies for other sports as well. This helps a lot in avoiding sports injuries.

Teach Proper playing technique

Proper guidelines and use of proper technique while playing the game can be a great asset to the player as he may not only learn the correct way to play and turn out to be a honest player but this will also protect him from any kind of injuries. So, it’s better to learn the correct techniques to play a game than to suffer injuries. Thus, you must provide your kid with  proper coaching for any particular sports he is playing.

Do not play if you are injured

Yes, continuing with a sport when you are already injured is a big NO. This may worsen the situation and the injury which could have been cured in a few days can take weeks. This may also have some after effects once you grow up. So, it becomes very important to recognise an injury and consult the doctor immediately. Continuing with the game without curing the injury completely or without the permission of the doctor may cost you heavily. So, stay alert.

Take breaks

Well, you can’t expect your little one to develop the consistency to play a game completely at one go. Since, they are still in the process of learning, they must be given rest of 5-10 minutes during the game. This will relax their body and restore the energy. You can also give them energy drink or glucose during this break. This will keep the kid relaxed and reduce stress and pressure on the body.

Protective gear

Protection is always better than injuries. So, teach your kid the use and the benefits of using protective gear. Yes, they must know that if they don’t wear the helmet while batting, the ball may spoil the structure of there nose. So, along with proper technique, one must also stay equipped with proper protection. So, use of pads, helmets, protective cups, eyewear and other protective gears are a must part of your kid’s sports kit.

Stay hydrated

During hot and humid  summers, heat illness is a very common problem in players. So, they must emphasize on the need to stay hydrated. They must drink enough water, before after and during the game so as to avoid any symptoms of heat illness. Moreover, it’s better to consult the doctor if your kid is suffering from fatigue, nausea, or faints frequently. These are the probable signs of heat illness.

In order to make the learning experience of your kid into a happy one, you must follow these tips to protect them from any bad memory of a sport injury. Remember, your ignorance can cost high to you little one later on.

Hope this article was of help for all our parents!! Please share your comments/queries/tips with us and help us create a world full of Happy and Healthy Babies!!