Exercise Physiology

Preventing Kids Sport Related Injuries

October 11, 2024
By Megan Kenney

There are many factors that influence why adolescents get injured whilst playing sport. These can include lack of strength, poor nutrition, tight muscles, poor coordination and growth rate. Whilst some of these we can change, the growth rate of a child is one area that is out of our control. During this stage a child’s bones, muscles, ligaments and tendons are still growing which makes them more prone to injury. We also know that the growth plates are still developing which causes weakness at the end of long bones, therefore decreasing the strength in ligaments and tendons.

There are, however, many opportunities for us to decrease the likelihood of our kids’ risk of injuries. These include tailored warm ups and cool downs, and the introduction of strength, functional, balance, plyometric training into their routines.

Common injuries in sport for children

The most common injuries in sport include acute and overuse injuries. Acute injuries are normally caused by trauma such as a fall, collision, or unnatural movements. If these occur on the field, it can result in fractures, ligament sprains, muscle and tendon strains and cuts or bruises. Depending on the seriousness of the injury, it can sometimes lead to a lengthy time spent unable to participate in sport or any physical activity.

Overuse injuries occur normally due to inadequate recovery, overtraining, lack of strength or coordination. These injuries can include Achilles tendinitis, Osgood-Schlatter disease, server’s disease, shin splint, stress fractures and inflamed tendons in the elbow.

How to prevent these injuries

Injuries can be preventable if certain strategies are put in place including a proper prevention program, adequate nutrition, and management exercise load.

Prevention program

Having a tailored exercise program pre-season and in-season can reduce up to 46% of injuries. This includes exercises that focus on strength, functional training, balance, sport specific warm ups, cool downs and skills training.

Nutrition

A proper nutritious diet helps provide sufficient energy stores and aids recovery time which can reduce risk of overuse injury and allow your kids to return to play. It’s important that adolescents that are involved in a significant amount of physical activity and sport, have enough intake of macro and micronutrients to support their recovery but also aid in their performance. Seek advice from a qualified Dietitian if you want to develop a nutritional strategy for your child.

Load Management

Australia has a vast amount of exposure to adolescent sport and other forms of physical activity. This means our kids today are constantly involved in some sort of moderate or vigorous exercise anywhere from 5 to 7 days a week. Monitoring exercise load can help to detect symptoms and signs of injury and can help with early diagnosis which ultimately prevents an injury from occurring.

If you would like any further information on our Sports Performance Program, Pre-Teen or Teen Gym Classes please call us or visit us in clinic!