How can you reduce risk of overuse injury?
The risk for overuse injury can be lessened by paying close attention to the frequency and intensity of the activity, making sure it's appropriate for the child's age and, very importantly, allowing for adequate time for rest between workouts. A young athlete should have at least one to two days off per week from their sports activities. If the child starts to complain of some soreness, it's time to take a break.
When shouldn't children participate in sports?
Children should never play through pain. Pain is the body's way of saying there's a stress or an injury. Children should not participate if they are sick, especially if there's a fever, vomiting or diarrhea. Occasionally, it's OK for a child with a mild cold to participate, as long as there's no fever or breathing difficulty, but the parents should keep in mind that they may fatigue sooner than usual, so the workout period should be shortened. A child should never be forced to play when tired because fatigue itself can be a risk factor for injury.
When is a child ready to participate in an organized sport?
Many children are developmentally ready for organized sports by about age six, but participation in organized sports also requires appropriate cognitive and social development. In other words, a child who is ready for organized sports is also able to interact with teammates and coaches, likes structure, has an appropriate attention span, is able to understand and follow instructions, has good memory skills and is not excessively shy or clumsy.
