Sports physicians continue to see a troubling number of “adult injuries” befall students of the game, including elbow injuries in tennis and shoulder injuries in baseball. Dr. Jacob Calcei, an orthopedic sports medicine physician and shoulder surgeon with University Hospitals, shares how
children perform while also protecting their bodies.
1. Be a Multi-Sport player: Today’s
young athletes commonly spend much more time
practicing one particular sport year-round, which
can lead to overuse of muscles and ligaments in
ways that two- or three-sport athletes avoid.
“If you’re playing the same sport over and over, you lose some of that dynamic mobility because you’re doing the same moves. By playing different sports, you make yourself a better-rounded athlete and decrease your risk for injury.”
2. Take time to rest: A common issue seen by the physicians on Dr. Calcei’s team involves to little downtime between sports. Moving on to the next season without taking time to unwind can lead to serious trouble down the line.
“There’s no time in between for the body to recover. Professional athletes have an offseason – that’s a couple of months off for the reason that their body needs to heal. A lot of [young athletes] don’t get the opportunity to sort of rest between sports. Some of that is unavoidable, but some can definitely be addressed by the parents and coaches.”
3. Get ready to rumble: While the basics of warming up and cooling down before and after any major exercise are obvious, it’s also important to ramp up to high-intensity training and start each sports season already fit.
“Football starts in the summer, so if you’re not cardiovascularly prepared, you’re putting stress on your body in hot temperatures and pads. The best athletes train appropriately and make themselves ready.”
4. Safety aside, benefits abound: Despite all of these precautions being focused on safety, Dr. Calcei says that research proves that these measures can also help improve an athlete’s performance overall.
“One thing is to understand the misconception that by focusing on one sport early on, you become better at one thing. There’s actually data out there that says that by becoming a more well-rounded athlete, you can become not only less likely to get injured but to become better at your sport. I think that’s really important to remember.”
Read more on Northeast Ohio's most competitive youth sports leagues and discover the best tips for maintaining the mental health of today's young athletes.
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