Youth Athletes and Overusage Injuries
This summer, I wrote about Little League and I wanted to follow up with some more thoughts.
I currently coach a middle school soccer team in Manhattan. I am so fortunate to spend time with great kids who are enthusiastic, respectful and fun. They are crazy active kids— playing on multiple soccer teams, with tennis lessons, lacrosse, swimming and many other playground activities.
While the PE teacher deep down inside of me is ecstatic to see a group of middle school kids take ownership of their physical health through regular activity, I am concerned with the frequency of overusage injuries in young athletes. Stress fractures to growth plate areas such as just below the knees and shoulders are becoming increasingly common and are extremely hazardous. These are most common amongst athletes that devote a large amount of time towards one sport, year-round.
Sports have always been closely affiliated with the seasons. The Boys of Summer began their quest to The Fall Classic as the playoffs began for Major League Baseball. In middle school and high school athletics each season, Fall/Winter/Spring offers different sports. Within this structure there are scheduled breaks away from a sport.
However, with the rise of AAU, private lessons and multiple travel teams, there are increased opportunities for kids to play a sport all year long. Most parents see this as the key to their youngster’s success in that particular sport.
But I disagree. It would be in the young athlete’s best interest to have scheduled breaks away from a particular sport and encourage them to play multiple sports. This allows for proper healing and development to take place over time. Even the pros have an off-season and their bodies are professionally trained, conditioned, and have reached full maturity! I believe a young athlete’s health and lifetime career should be paramount over any short-sided game, league or tournament.
Enjoy Your Exercise. Enjoy Your Day.
