Protecting Yourself Year-Round; Why Spring Sports Safety is a Must!

As winter turns into spring and temperatures increase, so does the amount of time that children spend outdoors playing spring sports.  This means that the number of injuries to children can also increase.

Each year, more than 30 million children participate in sports in the United States and more than 3.5 million children ages 14 and under are treated for sports injuries. While collision and contact sports are associated with higher rates of injury, injuries from individual sports tend to be more severe.

In team sports, most injuries - 62 percent - occur during practices, not games. "The most common types of sport-related injuries in children are sprains (mostly ankle), muscle strains, bone or growth plate injuries, repetitive motion injuries, and heat-related illness."

"When we think of sports injuries, we tend to think of dramatic tackles or falls - such as the plays you often see on highlight reels, but young athletes are also at risk of injuries," says David Horning.  "If your coach recommends certain types of warmups, it's not just to make you a better athlete - it will help keep you from getting hurt."

Safe Kids St. Charles County recommends these precautions for all children playing or practicing any individual or team sport:

•·         Before signing up for a sport, get a general physical exam.

•·         Always wear appropriate protective gear for the activity - for practice as well as games - and make sure it's the right size and properly adjusted.

•·         Always do your warm-ups and cool-downs.  If it's important before and after a game, it's important before and after practice too.

•·         Make sure responsible adults know and enforce the safety rules of the sport, are present to provide supervision, and are trained in first aid and CPR.

•·         Never "play through" an injury. Get immediate help from a coach or trainer and be sure to mention everything that hurts or aches.  All coaches should have a plan for dealing with emergencies.

•·         If you're playing outside, wear SPF 15 or higher sunscreen.

•·         Follow the rules. In most sports, the rules are based not only on sportsmanship, but safety.

Last but not least: "Stay hydrated," says David Horning.  "Drink plenty of water or electrolyte sports drinks before and during the activity, and rest frequently during hot weather. A child can lose up to a quart of sweat during two hours of exercise, and kids get overheated more quickly than adults and cannot cool down as easily."

For more information about sports safety visit www.usa.safekids.org.

Safe Kids St. Charles County works to prevent accidental childhood injury, the leading killer of children 14 and under. Its members include Central County Fire & Rescue (Lead Agency), Accident Athletic & Back Care- Dr. Michelle Dunajcik- Advisory Board Member, Barnes-Jewish St. Peters Hospital- Dianne Fix- Advisory Board Member, Farmers Insurance- Kyle Heywood- Advisory Board Member, St. Peters Chamber of Commerce- Kristie Freed- Advisory Board Member, Ameren UE, Community News, Jim Trenary Automotive Group, The Little Gym of St. CharlesMissouri Valley Federal Credit Union, St. Charles Community College, Healthy Communities St. Charles County, Lake St. Louis Fire Protection District, McDonalds- Christian Foods, Missouri Regional Poison Control, ParentLink, Parents for Window Blind Safety, Progress West HealthCare Center, St. Louis Area Kids' Directory, St. Louis Crisis Nursery, Youth In Need and 3 Day Blinds.  Safe Kids St. Charles County is a member of Safe Kids Worldwide, a global network of organizations dedicated to preventing accidental injury. Safe Kids St. Charles County was founded in 2004 and is led by Central County Fire & Rescue.