Less Pep and More Health: A Look at Youth Injuries in Sports

     Sports related injuries are common occurrences that vary in frequency and severity. This is true amongst children as well in which 3-11% of children experience a sports related injury each year (Shanmugam & Maffuli, 2008). Boys are about twice as likely as girls to be injured while playing a sport, and the incidence rate increases with age (Shanmugam & Maffuli, 2008). Severe injuries to children can disturb their growth, especially to bones. Children are also at higher risk of heat exhaustion than adults due to producing more relative heat, having a lower sweat capacity, and a tendency to not hydrate effectively before strenuous activity (Shanmugam & Maffuli, 2008).

       Many sports related injuries in children include overuse injuries, which are injuries obtained after repeatedly placing stress on the body without allowing adequate time for recovery (DiFori et al., 2014). This may be due to a lack of mental and physical development conflicting with the expectations of parents and coaches, leading to excessive workloads and even burnout in these young athletes (DiFori et al., 2014). As children age into adolescence, their bodies decrease in flexibility and increase in rigidity, creating imbalances in strength that lead to such injuries (DiFori et al., 2014). Unfortunately, lack of development and high expectations can lead to loss of interest and athletes dropping out from the sport (DiFori, et al., 2014).

        The likelihood of injuries and social pressure raises the ethical concern of whether children physically and mentally prepared to play high-risk sports. Social issues can be addressed by educating coaches and parents on how sensitive childhood development is, as well as creating a culture centered around skill development rather than winning. Resistance training has been proven to be a reliable way to reduce sports related injuries in children, and method that is still under-appreciated (Zwolski et al., 2017).  One must also consider the autonomy of the child when making decisions related to these activities, as their social development is just as important as their physical development. Youth sports is a subject many are passionate about, but proper precautions should be taken to ensure healthy and happy play.

DiFori, J.P., Benjamin, H.J., Brenner, J.S., Gregory, A., Jayanthi, N., Landry, G.L, & Luke, A. (2014). Overuse injuries and burnout in youth sports: A position statement from the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 48, 287-288.

Shanmugam, C. & Maffuli, N. (2008). Sports injuries in children. British Medical Bulletin, 86, 33–57. DOI:10.1136/bjsports-2013-093299

Zwolski, C., Quatman-Yates, C., & Paterno, M.V. (2017). Resistance training in youth: Laying the foundation for injury prevention and physical literacy. Sports Health, 9(5), 436-443. DOI: 10.1177/1941738117704153