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How to Help Your Kids Prevent Football Injuries

How to Help Your Kids Prevent Football Injuries

by | Aug 27, 2024 | Sports Medicine

Even as awareness of concussions and other problems has grown, football remains the most popular sport for adolescent boys. While participation has dropped, Texas still has the most high school football players of any state – totaling more than 170,000. That’s almost double the number of players in California, which has the second largest population of players. It’s no surprise that the sport remains so popular in a state known for “Friday Night Lights.” Yet while rule changes have modified risks, football injuries are still common. Scottish Rite for Children has advice to help your kids avoid some of these common sport injury problems.

Common Injuries in Football

Football has the highest injury rate among school sports. Most youth sports injuries are muscle, joint or bone injuries including:

Other common injuries in football are concussions and heat-related injuries, such as dehydration and exertional heat stroke.

Protective Equipment Is Key

Tackle football players wear pads for a reason. If your child is playing on a team that does not have the resources of a varsity-level squad, make sure they practice with the correct gear including:

  • Properly fitting helmet approved by the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment
  • Leg (thigh and knee) pads
  • Mouthguards
  • Cleats that are the correct size and fit
  • Shoulder pads
  • Protective cups

Some players may also wrap their wrists, ankles or knees with tape or bracing. Protective braces (i.e. knee brace or ankle brace) may decrease the risk of injury in some athletes. However, custom outer knee braces have not yet been proven to lower injury outcomes.

Practice Makes (Almost) Perfect

Proper training may also reduce injury risk. While your child’s coach determines what happens at practices, you can help your child learn ways to reduce the risk of football injuries all year long by:

  • Encouraging moderate off-season conditioning. Staying in shape throughout the year with cardiovascular exercise and strength training is great for your child’s health overall and may reduce the risk of injuries when they head back to the field.
  • Getting a physical. A pre-season assessment by your child’s pediatrician or sports medicine specialist can ensure that your child is healthy enough to play and raise any areas of opportunity for addressing musculoskeletal complaints before training begins.
  • Promoting hydration. Not only does proper hydration help prevent heat-related injuries, it’s also important for peak performance and maintaining a proper tackling technique. 

Encouraging your child to play different sports during the offseason can also help prevent overuse injuries while keeping them active and conditioned. Playing multiple sports has been shown to be associated with improved performance and reduced injury risk.

What About Concussions?

Whether your kids are linemen or quarterbacks, concussions are a risk during games and practice. Although some full contact drills have been banned from youth practice to reduce concussion risk, 63% of concussions in high school football players do happen from tackling, even during practice. Helmets do not prevent concussions, regardless if they are the best rated helmets on the market. Delaying tackling until the age of 14 is advised by some, however, there are ways to make the sport safer for young athletes. If your child is playing tackle football, make sure the coaches:

  • Limit tackling during practice.
  • Teach safe tackling tactics.
  • Remove the child from play immediately whenever a concussion is suspected.
  • Always follow established return to play guidelines after a concussion.
  • Have a doctor and/or athletic trainer on the sidelines to evaluate players during games after a possible concussion.

Talk to the Coaches

Coaches are an important part of football injury prevention. Before signing your child up for a league, ask the coaching staff questions to ensure injury prevention is part of their philosophy such as:

  • Do you encourage injured players to keep playing or take time off to recover?
  • If my child has a possible concussion, what is the protocol at the time of the injury and when it is time to return to play?
  • Does your child have their own water available?
  • How do you teach sportsmanship and fair play?
  • What type of tackles and drills do you run during practice?
  • Will practice be rescheduled or held indoors if the weather is extremely hot or severe storms are expected?

Only you can decide if a coach’s temperament and attitude toward the game is the right fit for your child — or if football is even a good option for your family. But with a proactive coaching staff, a supportive home and your sports medicine team at Scottish Rite, you can help limit the risk of a sports injury in football for your child.

Want more advice on preventing or treating football injuries for your child? Call 469-515-7100 to schedule an appointment with one of our sports medicine specialists at Scottish Rite for Children Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Center.

Overuse, Overtraining and Burnout: Here’s a Breakdown

Overuse, Overtraining and Burnout: Here’s a Breakdown

by | Jan 9, 2020 | Sports Medicine

Some may think these words can be used interchangeably, but our expert Shane M. Miller, M.D., who cares for young athletes on the sidelines and in the clinic, says otherwise.

What they do have in common is that they are red flags and each needs to be addressed with equal attention. Unfortunately, though one does not always cause the other, an athlete may experience more than one of these because they are related.

Here is a quick description of each:

  • Overuse (Injuries) occur when a body part gets worn out or injured because a motion is repeated over and over without adequate rest and recovery. This happens in many sports, but common examples include knee pain in sports that involve running and jumping, such as soccer or basketball, and shoulder and elbow injuries in sports that involve throwing or overhead activity such as volleyball or baseball. In young and growing athletes, the growth plates are particularly vulnerable to overuse injuries.
  • Overtraining occurs when a high volume or high intensity of training causes a decline in athletic performance. This may occur during regular training, pre-season intensive training, or during high volume competition such as tournaments or post-season playoffs.
  • Burnout occurs when an athlete experiences internal or external pressures that outweigh their motivation to participate. This causes athletes to no longer enjoy participating in their sport, reduces their commitment to training and, in some cases, causes them to quit a sport completely.

Miller warns coaches and parents to be on the lookout for signs and symptoms of these problems in young athletes. Though the list is long, here are a few things to watch for:

  • A sudden or gradual worsening in performance or disinterest in participating in practice or competition.
  • Complaints of pain during or after activity.
  • An expression of a desire to quit.

“If we can stay ahead of these things, we are much more likely to keep children and adolescents involved in sports longer, allowing them to benefit physically, socially and mentally,” says Miller.

Learn more about pediatric sports medicine.

Teaming Up with Local Coaches to Help Keep Young Athletes Safe

Teaming Up with Local Coaches to Help Keep Young Athletes Safe

by | Aug 27, 2019 | General News, Sports Medicine

As pediatric sports medicine experts, our team is here to take care of injuries, but we spend much of our time working to help kids stay on the field. Through partnerships with organizations like the Frisco Family YMCA, we educate parents and coaches on ways to prevent injuries in young athletes.

Last night, we had the opportunity to share our top tips with volunteer soccer coaches from Frisco. Below is what we shared with them:

  • Many injuries can be prevented. Rules and proper equipment are designed to prevent injuries that involve another player or the environment. “Noncontact” injuries can be avoided with appropriate warm-up and using proper form in fundamental and sport-specific movements.
  • Athletes should not have pain during or after activity. When a young athlete complains of pain related to activity, please advise them to seek a medical evaluation. Responding to complaints of pain early can reduce missed playing time.
  • Concussions are not old news. Recognizing signs and symptoms of a concussion and immediately removing an athlete from play is the responsibility of everyone. Four in ten athletes return too soon and this can cause recovery to be delayed.
  • Varying sports can improve performance and prevent injuries. Studies of collegiate and professional athletes show that athletes who play more than one sport through high school will perform better and have less injuries.
  • Encourage good nutrition, hydration and sleep habits. Teach young athletes to take care of their bodies. They should learn early how to properly fuel, hydrate and rest.

Download a copy to share now.

Many young athletes stop playing sports because of burnout or injury. Trying new sports and learning good habits early, can improve performance, reduce injury risk and lessen the likelihood of early drop out from sports.

Learn more about pediatric sports medicine.

Young Athletes and Soccer Safety: What You Need To Know

Young Athletes and Soccer Safety: What You Need To Know

by | Mar 8, 2019 | General News, Sports Medicine

Recently, sports medicine physician Shane M. Miller, M.D., joined a Facebook LIVE discussion with pediatrician Early B. Denison, M.D., from Pediatric Associates of Dallas. As an expert in caring for young athletes, Miller was interviewed to discuss soccer safety and injury prevention. Below is a recap of the discussion. Watch the live segment. What types of injuries occur in soccer?
  • Soccer is a contact sport, but has a large endurance component. Most acute injuries involve player to player contact that can result in ankle sprains, strains and/or contusions.
  • Other Injuries include mouth, face/nose, eye, oral/dental
  • Are there differences in injuries in youth players compared to high school players?
  • Increase injury rates go along with increased age.
  • The athletes are faster, stronger and more aggressive.
What about practice vs. games?
  • Many more injuries occur during games than practice.
  • Games bring a higher level of competition with a less controlled environment.
  • One study showed that about 2/3 of injuries occurred during the second half of the game.
Boys vs. girls?
  • Girls have a higher injury rate than boys.
  • Specifically, there are two significant injuries that we see more in girls that concern us: ACL injuries and concussions.
What to know about ACL injuries:
  • Very common in female athletes (non-contact), more than football, and about three times as many as boy soccer players.
  • The injury takes place typically when planting the foot to cut – the ligament stretches and tears.
  • It’s possible to hear/feel a pop and have swelling in knee.
  • It is a very serious injury with short and long-term implications for an athlete.
  • Usually eight to 12 months before returning to previous level of sport.
  • Possibility of a long-term arthritis risk and associated injuries such as meniscus tear, etc.
What about overuse injuries?
  • In younger soccer players (9-12), we see a lot of heel pain.
  • Growth plate overuse injuries are very common.
  • Adolescents complain mostly about knee pain (patellofemoral pain or Osgood-Schlatter’s). If there is swelling, limping, activity limitations, or symptoms more than a few days, the athlete should be evaluated by a pediatrician or sports medicine specialist.
How can we keep our young athletes safe? What recommendations do you have to reduce the risk of soccer injuries?
  • Follow/enforce the rules! Many injuries are preventable. Aggressive play increases risk of injury.
  • Proper equipment including shin guards.
  • Warm-up program – FIFA 11+ and 11+ kids both have been shown to reduce the risk of injuries by half, especially ACL tears.
  • Including a dynamic warm-up program should focus on balance, coordination, strength training and falling techniques.
What about concussions? What are your thoughts on headers?
  • Most injuries that occur around headers involve player-to-player contact – so heading is a high-risk play.
  • Additionally, younger players don’t have the coordination or neck strength to properly head the ball and absorb the forces.
  • US Youth Soccer has banned heading in players age 10 and younger.
Will soccer headgear prevent a concussion?
  • Headgear will not prevent a concussion and may increase the risk of injury by increasing athlete’s confidence/sense of invincibility. Following the rules, minimizing heading, increasing neck strengthening and not playing when fatigued/dehydrated are all very important in preventing a concussion.
What about reducing the risk of overuse injuries and burnout?
  • A pre-participation physical exam should be performed at least six weeks before the season with a primary care provider. This will allow injuries/issues to be noticed and addressed before the season begins.
  • Sport specialization – play multiple sports early on and specialize in late adolescence (i.e. high school).
  • Avoid year-round play – take a month off three times/year.
  • Hours/week shouldn’t exceed age in years.
  • Sports should be fun! Emphasize fun and all the benefits of sports, not winning and scholarships.
Learn more about the common injuries treated in our Center for Excellence in Sports Medicine.