Preventing Children's Sports Injuries
Playing sports can teach kids to stretch their limits and learn sportsmanship and discipline. But any sport can lead to injury. Parents and coaches can make a big difference in helping kids play sports safely.
Preventing Sports Injuries
To help protect your kids from sports injuries, follow these guidelines:
Use Proper Equipment
It's important for kids to use proper equipment and safety gear that’s the right size and fits well. For example, they should wear helmets for baseball, softball, bike riding, and hockey. They also should wear helmets while they're inline skating or riding scooters and skateboards.
Ask your child's coach about the appropriate helmets, shoes, mouthguards, athletic cups and supporters, and padding. For racquet sports, field hockey, lacrosse, basketball, softball, and baseball, ask about any protective eyewear, like shatterproof glasses.
Protective equipment should be approved by the organizations that oversee the sports. Hockey masks, for example, should be approved by the Hockey Equipment Certification Council (HECC) or the Canadian Standards Association (CSA).
Bicycle helmets should have a safety certification sticker from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
All equipment should be well cared for so it stays effective over time.
Play on Safe Surfaces
Check that playing fields are not full of holes and ruts that might cause kids to fall or trip. Kids doing high-impact sports, like basketball and running, should do them on surfaces like tracks and wooden basketball courts, which can be more forgiving than surfaces like concrete.
Have Adult Supervision
Any team sport or activity that kids participate in should be supervised by qualified adults. Choose leagues and teams that have the same commitment to safety and injury prevention that you do.
The team coach should have training in first aid and CPR, and the coach's philosophy should promote players' well-being. A coach with a win-at-all-costs attitude may encourage kids to play through injury and may not foster good sportsmanship. Be sure that the coach enforces playing rules and requires the use of safety equipment at all times.
Work with the coach to make sure your kids play sports that match their skill level, size, and physical and emotional maturity.
Before starting a new sport, kids should know the general rules of the game and how to stay safe. They should stretch and warm up before practices and before games. This will help them have fun and lower the chances of an injury. They also should come to practice with plenty to drink.
Common Types of Sports Injuries
Some common injuries in kids and teens are:
- Acute injuries where kids are hit by something (like a ball), fall, or run into another player. These can be minor (like a scratch or bruise) or more serious (like an eye injury or broken bone).
- Overuse injuries (also called repetitive stress injuries) that happen from doing the same action over and over. They can cause problems with bone growth. Overuse injuries often happen in the feet, knees, elbows, and shoulders.
- Reinjuries that happen when an athlete returns to the sport before an earlier injury fully healed.
Many of these injuries can be prevented by using the proper sports equipment, making sure kids are playing a sport that is a good fit for them, following doctor’s instructions on when to go back to sports after an injury, and not overdoing a training routine.
How Can Parents Help?
By staying involved in your kids’ sports activities, you can help lower their risk of injury. When kids stay injury-free, it helps them (and parents!) enjoy sports even more.
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- Little League Elbow
Kujiua kwa watoto katika michezo: Kujiua kwa watoto katika michezo kunaweza kuwa na matokeo mazuri kwa watoto, na inaweza kuwa na matokeo mazuri kwa watoto. Lakini mchezo wowote wa michezo waweza kusababisha majeraha. Wazazi na walimu wanaweza kufanya tofauti kubwa katika kuwasaidia watoto kucheza michezo kwa usalama. Ili kusaidia kulinda watoto wako kutoka kwa majeraha ya michezo, fuata miongozo hii: Tumia vifaa sahihi Ni muhimu kwa watoto kutumia vifaa sahihi na vifaa vya usalama ambavyo ni ukubwa sahihi na vinafaa vizuri. Kwa mfano, wanapaswa kuvaa kofia za chuma wanapocheza besiboli, mpira wa miguu, baiskeli, na mpira wa magongo. Pia wanapaswa kuvaa kofia za chuma wanapokuwa wakicheza kwenye barafu au kuendesha pikipiki na skateboards. Mwalimu wa mtoto wako anawauliza kuhusu kofia za chuma, viatu, vifuniko vya kinywa, vikombe vya michezo na vifuniko. Kwa michezo ya racquet, hockey ya shamba, lacrosse, mpira wa kikapu, mpira wa miguu, na besiboli, uliza kuhusu miwani yoyote ya kinga, kama vile miwani isiyovunjika. Vifaa vya kujilinda vinapaswa kuidhinishwa na mashirika yanayoongoza michezo hiyo. Kwa mfano, masks ya mpira wa magongo yanapaswa kuidhinishwa na Halmashauri ya Uidhinishaji wa Vifaa vya Hockey (HECC) au Chama cha Viwango cha Canada (CSA). Vifaa vya baiskeli vinaweza kuwa na kibandiko cha uthibitisho wa usalama kutoka kwa Tume ya Usalama wa Bidhaa za Watumiaji (CPSC). Vifaa vyote vinapaswa kutunzwa vizuri ili viendelee kuwa na matokeo kwa muda mrefu. Kucheza kwenye maeneo salama: Angalia kwamba uwanja wa michezo hauna mashimo na njia ambazo zinaweza kusababisha watoto kuanguka au kuteleza. Watoto wanaofanya michezo yenye athari kubwa, kama vile mpira wa kikapu na kukimbia, wanapaswa kufanya hivyo kwenye nyuso kama vile nyimbo na viwanja vya mpira wa kikapu vya mbao, ambavyo vinaweza kuwa na msamaha zaidi kuliko nyuso kama vile saruji. Ufuatiliaji wa Watu Wazima Michezo yoyote ya timu au shughuli ambazo watoto wanashiriki inapaswa kusimamiwa na watu wazima wenye sifa. Chagua ligi na timu ambazo zina kujitolea sawa na usalama na kuzuia majeraha kama unavyofanya. Mkufunzi wa timu anapaswa kuwa na mafunzo katika matibabu ya kwanza na CPR, na falsafa ya kocha inapaswa kukuza ustawi wa wachezaji. Mkufunzi mwenye mtazamo wa kushinda kwa gharama yoyote anaweza kuwachochea watoto wacheze kupitia majeraha na hawezi kukuza tabia nzuri ya michezo. Hakikisha kwamba mkufunzi anatekeleza sheria za kucheza na anahitaji matumizi ya vifaa vya usalama wakati wote. Fanya kazi na kocha ili kuhakikisha kwamba watoto wako wanacheza michezo inayolingana na kiwango chao cha ustadi, ukubwa, na ukomavu wa kimwili na kihisia. Kabla ya kuanza mchezo mpya, watoto wanapaswa kujua sheria za jumla za mchezo huo na jinsi ya kuwa salama. Wanapaswa kunyoosha na kupasha joto kabla ya mazoezi na kabla ya michezo. Hilo litawasaidia kufurahia na kupunguza uwezekano wa kujeruhiwa. Pia wanapaswa kuja kwenye mazoezi wakiwa na vinywaji vingi. Matatizo ya kawaida ya michezo: Matatizo ya kawaida ya michezo ni: Matatizo ya watoto waliopigwa na kitu (kama mpira), kuanguka, au kukimbia kwenye mchezaji mwingine. Hizi zinaweza kuwa ndogo (kama scratch au bruise) au mbaya zaidi (kama jeraha jicho au mfupa kuvunjika). - Majeraha ya kutumia kupita kiasi (yanayoitwa pia majeraha ya mkazo wa kurudia-rudia) yanayotokea kutokana na kufanya tendo lilelile tena na tena. Zinaweza kusababisha matatizo ya ukuzi wa mifupa. Mara nyingi majeraha ya kutumia kupita kiasi hutokea katika miguu, magoti, mikono, na mabega. - Majeraha ya mara kwa mara ambayo hutokea wakati mwanariadha anarudi kwenye mchezo kabla ya jeraha la awali kupona kabisa. Majeraha mengi yanaweza kuzuiwa kwa kutumia vifaa sahihi vya michezo, kuhakikisha watoto wanacheza michezo inayofaa kwao, kufuata maagizo ya daktari juu ya wakati wa kurudi kwenye michezo baada ya jeraha, na sio kupita kiasi. Wazazi Wanaweza Kusaidiaje? Kwa kushiriki katika michezo ya watoto wako, unaweza kusaidia kupunguza hatari yao ya kujeruhiwa. Watoto wanapokuwa bila majeraha, hilo huwawezesha wao (na wazazi!) Furahia michezo zaidi. - Fitness kwa Watoto Ambao hawapendi Michezo - Watoto na Mazoezi - Majeraha ya Mkazo wa Kurudia-rudia katika Michezo - Wazazi Wanawezaje Kusaidia Kuzuia Mshtuko wa Akili? - Little League Elbow