While injuries and sports go hand-in-hand, you might be surprised to learn at how often kids are getting hurt playing sports these days, as well as the seriousness of the injuries they are experiencing. The small bumps and bruises previously witnessed in youth and interscholastic sports have been replaced with more serious ACL, MCL, and meniscus injuries, as well as concussions and various elbow and shoulder injuries. I regularly see youth athletes at the office on crutches, many rehabilitating their sports injury for upwards of a year — and sometimes even longer. Think about that for a moment — kids are dealing with very serious, sometimes permanent injuries, and largely on their own. Not only do kids deal with the physical pain associated with injury recovery, but there are a number of mental health challenges as well, beginning with the question of will I ever be able to play again?
Why are there so many more injuries in youth sports today?
As youth and interscholastic sports continue to follow a professional sport trajectory by means of seriousness and intensity, it should come as little surprise that more kids are getting seriously hurt while competing. Kids today are bigger, faster, and stronger, and with sport participation opportunities year-round there are more chances for physical injuries to occur. Below are additional reasons why kids are experiencing serious injuries today:
- More sports. Kids today can specialize and play their sport year-round, or they can play multiple sports concurrently. In fact, kids can literally fill their entire calendar year with practices, games, camps, clinics, and showcases, keeping them constantly tethered to sports and increasing the chances of serious injury.
- Better athletes. Travel leagues and other select sport opportunities start very early these days, resulting in a more refined youth athlete prototype capable of doing serious damage in contact sports.
- Harder hits. Because kids are better trained today, they hit harder! Additionally, kids practice more regularly, and are more precise and efficient with their hits.
- More intensity. The progressive arc to serious travel leagues from recreation sports has been minimized, as kids today often begin travel league sports as early as elementary school. More games, better athletes, and serious on-field play leads to more more risk of injuries.
- Less time off. How do you let your body relax and heal if you always have another practice or game? Young athletes today rarely take a season off, and most actually compete in sports that (at least partially) overlap. When bodies don’t have time to heal, the risk for even more future injuries increases.
Mental challenges
When young athletes experience serious injuries what normally follows is a lot of mental anguish, including loss of confidence, confusion over the nature of the injury, and worries about playing again. Maximizing athletic performance requires playing at a peak physical level, and this includes playing with self-confidence. When an athlete deals with an injury, not only are there physical constraints and limitations that must be addressed, but often the anxieties of uncertainty cloud the future and chip away at self-confidence. For kids, the most common questions I am asked include:
- When will I return? For most kids, experiencing a serious injury leaves them anxious and uncertain relating to when they can play again.
- Will I get my starting position back? The old-school sport mentality was that athletes did not lose their position because of an injury, but not all coaches ascribe to that philosophy, leaving kids to worry about their starting spot.
- What if I go too hard, too soon — will I re-aggravate the injury and miss more time? This is especially true for kids who have been on the mend for extended time and worry about getting hurt again.
- What future opportunities am I missing (i.e. college scholarship, all star teams, travel)? Depending on the timing of the injury, it may impact various future opportunities — including playing college sports.
- Will I ever play at the level I played at before the injury? Kids can become consumed with worry when they feel like they will never play as well as they did before the injury, and this can leave them vulnerable to poor stress coping.
- Is this the end of my sports career?
Quick tips to help
To minimize the mental stress associated with sports injuries, help kids:
- Learn as much about the injury and expected rehabilitation process, including realistic targets for returning to the field. Talk to doctors, trainers, and even other athletes who have experienced the same injury to help ease anxieties and possibly even learn tips to enhance the recovery process.
- Stay a part of the team. Research shows that social support is an instrumental variable in the healing process, making it important to keep kids involved with the team by attending practices and games whenever possible.
- Set goals, monitor progress. Work with your doctor to set realistic goals and keep daily notes about level of pain, strength and flexibility improvements, and any other important details pertaining to the recovery process.
- Consider professional help. While it is true not every injured athlete will need to work with a sport psychologist, many should consider this type of assistance. Athletes who experience mood swings, anger, excess anxiety, or become vulnerable to poor coping are encouraged to talk to a professional.
Final thoughts
While it is true that most league operators and athletic directors highly prioritize sports safety, there is only so much that can be done to prevent injuries by means of rule changes and investing in better equipment. Youth sports often include high-impact contact and collisions, and kids today play more games at greater intensity than ever before. Consequently, the nature of sports injuries kids experience today mirror what pro athletes experience, including medical procedures like ACL and Tommy John surgeries that previously were associated with pro athletes, not kids.
drstankovich.com
