An estimated 30 million children and adolescents will take part in organized sports this summer, and about one-third of them will suffer some type of injury, according to Pietro Tonino, director of sports medicine and an orthopedic surgeon at Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago. Loyola University Medical Center and several other health and sports organizations have issued warnings or advice about how to prevent injuries in children. If a child comes home with soreness that lasts for more than two days, he or she should be checked by a doctor.
Most injuries are the result of repetitive stress or overuse of certain muscles.
The center also recommended stretching and strengthening exercises. Noting the influence that parents have on their children, parents should always wear a helmet themselves, the department said. Contrary to traditional beliefs, strength training for young children not only is safe but it may help prevent injuries, according to the American College of Sports Medicine. There is some evidence that strength-training decreases the incidence of sports injuries in children by strengthening tendons, ligaments and bones, the college said. Generally, if children have the emotional maturity to follow instructions, they can begin strength training at the same age they are ready for organized sports, the college said.