Sports Safety
Participating in sports is great for children both physically and
psychologically. Sports can increase a child's physical coordination,
fitness, and self-esteem. In addition, sports can teach children about
teamwork and self-discipline.
However, because children's bodies are still growing and their
coordination is still developing, children are more susceptible to sports
injuries. Approximately 3.5 million children ages 14 and under are treated
for sports-related injuries each year. Half of all of those injuries can
be prevented with proper use of safety gear, changes to the playing
environment, and the establishment of sports rules that help prevent
injuries.
Most childhood sports injuries occur due to the following factors:
- lack of education and awareness about safety precautions and
potential injury
- inappropriate or lack of equipment
- improperly conditioned children
The following are safety precautions recommended to prevent sports
injuries in children:
- Children should wear appropriate safety gear and equipment.
- The playing environment should be safe.
- The sport should be properly practiced with children of similar
size, skill level, and physical and emotional maturity.
- Children should be fit and mentally prepared.
- Children practicing a sport should be supervised by an adult who
enforces the safety rules.
- Children should stay hydrated during and after sports.
There are many different sports-related injuries that require clinical
care by a physician or other healthcare professional. Listed in the
directory below are some, for which we have provided a brief overview.
If you cannot find the information in which you are interested, please
visit the Safety and Injury Prevention Online
Resources page in this Web site for an Internet/World Wide Web address
that may contain additional information on that topic.
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