Pediatric Athlete Injury Prevention

Feel that in the air? Yep, it’s fall sports season! But let’s be honest – these days, it seems like youth sports never really stop. With year-long practices, seasons blur together, and before we know it, our kids haven’t taken a break from organized sports in ages. While the physical and emotional benefits of sports are undeniable, the demands on young athletes are higher than ever. 

Nearly 30 million children and teens in the U.S. participate in some form of organized sport each year, and that doesn’t even count those staying active outside of structured activities. The AAP recommends that children and teens (ages 5-21) get at least 60 minutes of moderate or vigorous physical activity each day. Many kids get more than this, and it’s our job to ensure they are doing it safely. After all, kids are starting sports younger, playing harder, and facing growing expectations from coaches and families, which puts on a strain – no pun intended – on their developing bodies.

We recently sat down with sports medicine pediatrician Dr. Tracy Zaslow to get her insights on keeping young athletes safe. Here’s what we learned.

Common Pediatric Sports Injuries (And How to Prevent Them)

Some of the most common pediatric sports-related injuries in kids include overuse injuries, fractures, sprains/strains, concussions, and burn-out. But these injuries don’t have to be inevitable. With the right strategies, we can significantly reduce the risk.

Sleep: Encourage families to prioritize sleep as a critical part of injury prevention. Teens who get 8+ hours of sleep can reduce their injury risk by up to 50%.

Nutrition: Food is fuel. Educate athletes and their families on the importance of proper nutrition to support their performance and recovery.

• Going back to the basics is always a good idea - counsel families and their athletes on proper SLEEP and NUTRITION (food as fuel) as it relates to injury prevention 
  • Teens who sleep up to 8 hours or more can actually decrease injury rates by 50%

Variety: Discourage kids from playing the same sport every day. Instead, encourage them to try complementary sports that use different muscle groups and skills. Kids should avoid specializing in one sport before age ten or before hitting puberty.

Footwear: Make sure athletes are using the right shoes for the right surface (e.g., turf shoes on turf fields).

Headgear: Helmets and mouthguards should be properly fitted and worn when appropriate.

Warm Up and Cool Down: Engage in a dynamic warm up and cool down with every practice.  Some great injury prevention programs are linked here. 

• FIFA 11+ Complete Warm-up Program - Part I
• FIFA 11+ Complete Warm-up Program - Part 2
• FIFA 11+ Complete Warm-up Program - Part 3

Limit Training Hours: For younger athletes, the hours of organized sport per week should be equal to or less than their age. For example, a seven year old should not be doing more than seven hours a week of organized sport. The ratio of organized sport to hours of free play should be no more than 2:1.  

Look out for prior injuries, as these are a risk factor for future injuries. We always want to protect our athlete’s mental health. Encourage athletic autonomy and intrinsic motivation. In a world where excessive training and overscheduling can be considered the norm, we need to push back on this and realize we may be doing more harm than good.

Let’s make this fall sports season fun, meaningful, and most importantly, safe!