Participating in sports activities can provide children the opportunity to stretch their potential and learn the art of sportsmanship and discipline. Having a clear and precise understanding of the causes of sports injuries and the various methods to prevent them will help you make athletics a positive experience for your child.
Here are some simple guidelines that will prevent your kids from being injured:
Prevention
- Enroll your child in organized sports activities through schools, community clubs, and properly maintained recreation areas. The coaches should be effectively trained in first aid and CPR, and should have a detailed plan for responding to emergency situations. Coaches should also be well versed in the proper use of equipment, and should enforce certain rules on the use of equipment’s.
- Ensure that your child owns and consistently uses proper sports equipment’s.
- Make warm ups and cool downs an integral part of your child’s routine before and after participating in sports. Warm-up exercises, that include stretching and light jogging, can reduce the chances of muscle strain or soft tissue injury during sports. Moreover, it enhances the warmth and flexibility of body’s tissues. Cool down exercises helps to loosen muscles that have tightened during exercise.
- Ensure that your child drink lots of water frequently and stays properly hydrated while playing. Use sunscreen and a hat to reduce the chances of sunburn. Sun protection may minimize the chances of skin cancers that could occur later in life.
- Learn and follow the safety rules for your child’s sport.
Treatment
Treatment for sports-related injuries often varies with the injury. However, if your child has suffered a soft tissue injury such as a sprain or strain or a bone injury, the best immediate treatment is R.I.C.E. (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation). Get professional treatment if the injury is severe such as having a fracture or joint dislocation, prolonged swelling or extreme pain.
Activity and Exercise
It is extremely important that your child continues to do some type of regular exercise and sports activity after the injury completely heals. Exercise may minimize the chances of obesity, which is becoming very common in children. It may also reduce the risk of diabetes and will help to build team skills and provide him with a general sense of happiness and well-being.
As a parent, it is important that you encourage your children to be physically active. You should teach your children to follow the rules of the sport and to play it safe to avoid injuries. You should also be aware of the risks associated with different kinds of sports and take important measures to lessen the chances of injury.
