It’s that time of year again. Area kids are hitting the sports fields, and often staggering back off. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 7.3 million teenagers participate in high school sports. As the number of kids taking part in sports increases, so does the number of injuries.
High-school athletes suffer an estimated 2 million injuries annually, resulting in 500,000 doctor visits and 30,000 hospitalizations. Approximately 3.5 million children ages 14 and under will receive treatment for a sports injury this year. These injuries range from scrapes and bruises to more serious issues such as spinal and brain injuries. Injuries can keep athletes out of play for an entire season and, in some cases, cause lifelong problems. “They told us if he doesn’t have the surgery, he risks not being able to lift his arm to throw a ball at age 40.” Ryan Broe, a 16-year-old football and lacrosse player from Ballston Spa, has seen his share of injuries. Active in football since second grade, he has suffered knee and shoulder injuries and two concussions. His most recent injury, a dislocated shoulder, may keep him off the playing field this entire football season. “The orthopedic doctor told us he should have arthroscopic surgery, which would mean he wouldn’t get back to playing football this year,” says Ryan’s mom, Kristen Broe. Ryan was told without surgery, he is at a higher risk of long-term effects from the injury.
“They told us if he doesn’t have the surgery, he risks not being able to lift his arm to throw a ball at age 40,” says Broe. Although not all injuries can be avoided, experts encourage proper training before the season even starts to help lower the risk. “Strength training, agility, and speed training,” says Dr. Douglas Kirkpatrick, of North Country Sports Medicine in Queensbury. Kirkpatrick stresses the importance of coaches taking an active role in injury prevention.
According to New York state guidelines, a coach must have a working understanding of how to properly condition athletes and prevent injuries, as well as recognize, evaluate and follow the proper course of action when injuries do occur. “Injury prevention starts before the season starts, and we rely on coaches as the first line of defense,” says David Sunkes, Ballston Spa High School’s athletic director. “We were seeing a lot of shoulder issues last football season, therefore coaches have focused on strengthening that part of the body before the season started,” he says. Niskayuna High School Athletic Director Larry Gillooley says he believes his school’s rate of injury has stayed the same because of diligent training. “Our athletic department encourages training year round,” says Gillooley. “We are seeing more and more of our athletes doing more training in and out of school.” The problem lies when year-round training consists of one sport, say experts.
“More young athletes are single-sport athletes, participating in three to four seasons of the same sport increasing the likelihood of overuse injuries,” says Kirkpatrick. According to STOP Sports Injury Campaign, overuse injuries are responsible for nearly half of all sports injuries in middle- and high-school students. “The body never gets a chance to recover because they are constantly performing the same activity,” says Dr. Adam Favro of Turning Point Chiropractic, who specializes in sports rehabilitation. Overuse injuries, such as Little League elbow, runner’s knee, shin splints and tendinitis develop over time from repetitive stress on one part of the body. When not treated properly, overuse injuries can cause lifelong disability. “There can be long-term deleterious effects, such as arthritis,” says Kirkpatrick.
He says most overuse injuries respond to rest, however, he finds many athletes are resistant to taking time off. “This increases the likelihood of a longer recovery,” says Kirkpatrick. “Many athletes also present quite late in the process, having tried to ‘work through it.'” “One of the most common injuries we see come back to haunt people are shoulder injuries and knee injuries. Once the joint is injured, scar tissue formation can cause a decrease in range of motion in older adults,” says Favro. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends kids play multiple sports until age 12, and specialization is not recommended until age 16. Dr. Stephanie Evans of Pediatrics Associates of Saratoga, says she believes part of the problem is coaches and parents putting pressure on the kids to be the best, and kids pushing themselves out of a true passion for their sport. “Today’s sports seem to place too much importance on the victory and less on the development of the athlete,” says Marc DeNofio of Niskayuna. DeNofio feels there is constant pressure on the kids to keep going.
“Kids feel guilty, as if they are letting down the team if they don’t get back in the game,” says DeNofio. “I do see coaches thinking more about winning and not as much about kids developmentally,” says Evans, who adds she is happy to see new safety regulations in place. In March of this year, New York passed legislation addressing student athlete concussions. Any New York public school student suspected of suffering a concussion must immediately be removed from play and cannot return until he or she is symptom-free for a minimum of 24 hours and has been evaluated and given authorization to return to activities from a doctor. “Concussions need to be taken seriously,” says Evans.
“The need for rest after a concussion is more significant than most people think,” says Evans, “Kids should not be playing, using a computer, or even reading. The brain needs to rest,” she says. In June, Pop Warner, the most well-known football organization in the world, also added new safety regulations in hopes of reducing concussions. Many schools are requiring athletes to take part in a pre-injury screening to help identify brain injuries. The ImPACT (Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing) test is used at Ballston Spa High School to help determine whether a player is ready to return to play following a concussion. “I had to take the test multiple times before I could return,” says Broe, after suffering a concussion last year. “It was five months before I was cleared,” he says. “The hardest part is protecting them against themselves they want to go back right away,” says Sunkes. “We want the kids to be healthy before going back with everyone on board doctors, trainers, parents, and the athlete,” says Sunkes. “We work as a team and make sure everyone is on the same page.” Fear of injury shouldn’t stop kids from playing sports. While all sports pose a risk of injury, sports also provide substantial benefits, explains Sunkes. “Sports teach kids team work, dedication, perseverance, discipline, and how to work with others which are all traits to help them be successful in life,” he says. Safety Tips
Be aware of symptoms
Early detection and treatment are important to recovery. Signs of concussion are important and should be taken seriously. “If you are talking about your brain, always err on the side of caution”, says Evans. Don’t return to play until cleared
All injuries need time to heal. Rest will prevent further injury and allow healing.
Stay in shape all year long
Strength training, conditioning, and staying physically fit can help lower risk of injury.
Cross-train muscles
Overuse injuries occur because of repetitive use of one body part without downtime to repair itself. Make sure training involves the use of different muscles. For example if your daughter plays soccer, add swimming to her routine. Good nutrition and hydration
“The biggest tip is to make sure your child is properly hydrated and fed well. Lots of fruits and vegetables”, says Favro. Good nutrition helps with bone and soft tissue healing.