Calling All Parents of Athletes:
Help Your Child Stay Healthy
 More kids are playing sports, and many of them belong to multiple
teams that practice virtually year round. For the most part, playing
sports is a positive experience for kids.
“Sports help kids develop physically and socially,” says Terry Amaral, MD,
a pediatric orthopedic surgeon at The Children’s Hospital at Montefiore
(CHAM). “Kids’ bodies get stronger, and they learn how to follow rules, get
along with others and work as a team. And it helps combat a growing problem
— childhood obesity. But greater participation in sports has led to a rise in
sprains, strains, overuse injuries, dislocated kneecaps and other sports-related
injuries in young athletes.”
Fortunately, there’s a lot parents can do to help their kids stay healthy while
they’re on the basketball court or soccer field. Dr. Amaral suggests that parents
make sure their kids:
- Get the proper training for each sport.
- Fuel their bodies. Kids should eat healthy foods. They can strengthen their
bones by consuming calcium-rich foods and performing weight-bearing
exercises. Kids can take a multivitamin, but they should avoid high-dose
supplements and performance-enhancing formulas.
- Engage in a well-rounded fitness program that includes stretching, strength
training and exercises that improve stamina, balance and coordination.
Girls ages 10 and older can start supervised weight-training programs with
light weights. Boys develop more slowly and should wait until they’re 11 or
12 to begin a weight-training program.
- Warm up with light calisthenics rather than stretching exercises before
practices or games.
- Wear appropriate and properly maintained safety equipment for each sport.
- Give their bodies a rest between practices or games and during the off season.
“Kids need to learn to play hard, have fun and be careful,” Dr. Amaral says.
“Kids generally heal quickly, and they think they’re invincible. So they may
not realize that overdoing it or getting injured at a young age can impair their
performance and cause them a great deal of pain in the future.”
Accidents happen. If your child suffers a sports-related
injury, find an orthopedic specialist at CHAM by calling
1-877-MONTE-KIDS or visiting: www.montekids.org/orthopedics
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