Prevention of sports injuries

In summary, youth sports are part of American culture and involve millions of children and adolescents. They provide opportunities for socialization and developing coping strategies to deal with challenges and adversity. Unfortunately, three million injuries in children and adolescents occur annually in organized sports in the United States. Pediatricians must be better trained in recognition and treatment of existing injuries and preventing additional injuries. Preseason evaluation is a method of detecting and the opportunity to rehabilitate old injuries. The tracking of injuries is an important role of the sports medicine team, of which the team physician is a vital part. Other strategies to potentially prevent injuries include education about heat-related injuries, medical coverage at sporting events, coaching education, good officiating, and proper equipment. In general, young athletes should not participate if in pain. Finally, excessive pressure to perform well in sports, coupled with poor psychological coping skills and lack of social support, is associated with injury in sports, not to mention stress on the athlete. The pediatrician may be presented with any of these problems. The challenge is to get young athletes back to sports activities for enjoyment, with no increased risk of injury.