If protective equipment is not already provided, buy it yourself. Protect the eyes. Approximately 30 percent of eye injuries among children under the age of 16 are sports related, and 90 percent of those are preventable. Eye protection, in the form of a face mask or goggles, should be worn for all impact sports, according to Dr. Paul Vinger, a clinical pro fessor of ophthalmology at Tufts Medical School, in Boston. Anytime you have a ball going fast, or fingers flying, you're going to have eye injuries, says Vinger.
Eye protection is relatively cheap.
Prescription glasses should be fitted with shatter-proof lenses and sports frames that hold the lenses firmly in place. Be sure the shoe fits. Improper footwear is a major cause of injuries to feet, knees, and ankles. Your child needs footwear that is appropriate for the sports she plays. And don't send your child out to play in shoes that have not been broken in.