According to Project Play, at least 56% of children play some type of team sport in school. That same institute predicts this figure will rise to 63% by 2030.[1]
Children who play sports report higher self-esteem and improved life skills, goal setting, time management, and work ethic. But sports have downsides too, such as the risk of physical injury.
Preventing Sports Injuries Among Children
One of the things parents worry about most when their children play sports is the injuries their kids might sustain. Sports are fun, healthy, and important for children because they gift kids with teamwork experience, leadership skills, strategy-building, goal-setting, and a sense of empowerment.
But there are risks in team sports, risks for physical injury. According to the Stanford Children’s Health Hospital, 3.5 million children get hurt every year playing sports. About 775,000 of those children have to be treated in the emergency room, and at least 21% of traumatic brain injuries among children in the U.S. result from sports injuries.[2]
Here are three quick tips for preventing injury:
- Ensure your child wears the proper protective equipment. Sporting equipment protects against injury! There is no reason children should be playing full-contact football without the necessary protective gear.
- Ensure your child stretches properly and warms up before each team practice, game, and sporting event. Double-check with your child’s coach or trainer to ensure stretches and warm-ups are a part of the training regimen.
- Sit in on training, practices, games, and events. Sports are meant to be played in a way that reduces the risk of injury. If they’re not being played that way, report the problem and demand it be rectified.
What to Do in the Event of a Serious Brain Injury Like TBI and CTE
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and, more specifically, Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) are types of injuries that are often considered wrongful and preventable. These injuries are not only extremely serious; they’re almost certainly not the child’s fault.
Brain injuries resulting from concussions and head trauma must be treated, and the child must be removed from play until they recover. Unfortunately, league organizers, coaches, and school officials don’t always implement concussion protocols. And if a star player is injured, sometimes coaches overlook the injury and put the player back on the field, risking further (sometimes fatal) injury.
If you feel your child was wrongfully injured while playing sports, please contact NRS Injury Law today at 855.977.6670.
Sources Cited:
[1] PP. “Youth Sports Facts, Participation Rates.” Project Play, 2022. aspenprojectplay.org
[2] SM. “Sports Injury Statistics.” Stanford Medicine Children’s Health, 2022. stanfordchildrens.org
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