We know you are getting lots of ideas for how to support your student athletes as they spend more time at home and less in school and activities. To help you make the most of the time with your young athletes, review these tips to help you choose activities that can help them stay game-ready!

MAKE ROOM FOR FREE PLAY – This is a wonderful time to allow your children to choose what to do. Give them space, time and encouragement to play without a rigid structure. Though this can be alone, it’s another good way to spend some quality time together. Toss a football, play kickball or keep a balloon off the ground.

CORE STRENGTHENING – For any age and any sport, activities to strengthen the core are valuable. When choosing exercises, look for those that require full body use. Some examples are bear crawls races, plank contests and standing on one leg playing catch.

POWER DEVELOPMENT – Jumping is an example of a plyometric activity that helps an athlete develop strength and power in the legs. Trade out jumping jacks and running in place with squats, frog jumps and jumping off a step or box with control. Our therapists suggest to placing a bean bag on your child’s head to slow down the movements and improve control.

ENDURANCE – Without the regular activities at the playground and in sports, young athletes may have a tough time when they get back to practice. Add some jogging and sprints into those new daily walks. Make a bike ride more beneficial with a little more speed and distance.

CHANGE IT UP - Early specialization, participating in only one sport before high school, is correlated with more injuries and is not correlated with better performance. Take this time to introduce your child to new sports.

Let us know what questions you have for our pediatric sports medicine team. Email sportsmednews@tsrh.org.