As a parent, it’s understandable to want your children to take part in a wide range of activities. One of the most popular activities for children, while they’re in school, is taking part in team sports. Considering that, many schools offer sports programs for children throughout the duration of the calendar school year. If you want your children to play sports, it’s important to follow a few tips that will reduce the chance of them having to deal with minor injuries while playing. With that in mind, here are three tips to help your children prevent injuries while playing sports.
- Ensure Child is Wearing Adequate Safety Gear
It’s always important to make sure that children are wearing each and every pad needed to play a sport. You’ll find it’s wise to double check and make sure your child is wearing all proper safety equipment before a practice or game begins. Statistics show that 25,000 people in the United States suffer from a sprained ankle. Considering that, providing quick help by ensuring your child is properly wearing all required safety equipment can drastically reduce the chance of your child dealing an ankle sprain. - Help Your Child Practice Their Chosen Sport
One of the greatest ways to prevent sports injuries is to regularly practice these sports with your child. You’ll have a great time with your child while training them in how to properly play a sport. For instance, children playing baseball might want to visit the batting cages in order to practice swinging a bat properly. In addition, your child is sure to find playing sports with a parent to be a quality bonding experience. - Keep Child Hydrated Throughout a Practice or Game
No matter the season, it’s always important to ensure that your child remains adequately hydrated during a sports game or practice session. It’s important to know that children can become hydrated while playing sports indoors in temperate conditions. Therefore, it’s always smart to make sure that you bring plenty of water with you to any practice or game. In addition, watch closely if your child begins to show signs of common illnesses while participating in sports as it could be a sign that they’re dehydrated.
To summarize, there are several important ways to help keep children safe while playing sports. If you follow the previously mentioned tips and still require medical assistance, you’ll want to find the nearest urgent care facility. Urgent healthcare facilities regularly treat sports injuries and common illnesses that happen to children throughout the year. In fact, statistics gathered from Milliman found that anywhere between 44-65% of emergency room situations including many common illnesses could have been handled within an urgent care facility. You’ll also be happy to know that nearly 3 million patients visit these care facilities each week, according to data gathered from the Urgent Care Association of America.