FALL 2017
maskmatters.org
51
evaluate what went wrong and find
solutions. Lastly, praise them. They
need to hear that you are proud.
SPORTS SUCCESS
Will pushing your child to the
max benefit them in the long run?
Maybe your daughter is the best
in her age group or your son can
run faster than others on his team.
What is the long-term goal? Is it
an athletic college scholarship? A
professional career?
Many parents push their children
to excel in sports because perhaps
they have aspirations of fame and
glory for their child. The statistics,
however, are sobering when it
comes to the actual number
of child athletes who go on to
success. According to the National
Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA) research, the percentage
of high school athletes that will
compete in Division 1 programs are:
Football:
1.8%
Men’s track and field:
1.2%
Women’s soccer:
2.4%
Women’s volleyball: 1.2%
Of this population, the odds
that an athlete will go on to play
professional sports are even lower.
The percentage of NCAA players
that make it to the pros are:
Men’s basketball:
1.1%
Football:
1.5%
Men’s soccer:
1.4%
OVERUSE INJURIES
Overuse injuries are caused by
repetitive stress on the body. When
the body doesn’t have time to rest
and recover, tissue breakdown
will happen faster than it can
repair itself. Dr. James Andrews,
one of the nation’s leading sports
orthopedic surgeons, has a lot to
say about young athletes staying
healthy. He says the reasons
we’re seeing overuse injuries
in children are because they’re
being forced to play year-round,
and they’re training like adults
and professional athletes.
Dr. Andrews also says youth
sports are being manipulated by a
much larger system, contributing
further to this devastating
issue. “The systems out there
in youth sports, particularly
travel ball, have been important
financial resources for the people
who run them,” he said in an
interview with Cleveland.com.
BURN OUT
Studies have shown that burnout
and serious injuries lead many of
America’s youth to abandon their
sport by age 13. As a parent, here
are a few simple tips to help your
child who is interested in sports:
h
Allow
your athlete time to
rest and recover for at least three
to four months out of the year.
h
Encourage
your child to
experience different sports.
h
Ensure
they are participating
in appropriate training for their age
and stage of physical maturity.
h
Incorporate
physical therapy
into your child’s sports regimen.
Seek the help of a physical
therapist (a musculoskeletal expert
in the field of human movement)
or a licensed clinician skilled and
trained to observe abnormal body
mechanics, facilitate efficient
movement and educate individuals
on injury prevention and wellness.
High school athletes account
for an estimated 2 million
injuries, 500,000 doctor visits
and 30,000 hospitalizations.
