OIP Safe Summer Fun Series: Football
It’s almost time for pre-season! Did you know that football is the leading cause of sports injuries in school-aged children? Nearly half a million people with football injuries ended up in emergency rooms in 2012. It is vitally important to ensure that players are healthy enough to play and have stayed or have safely gotten themselves back into shape to play. Making an appointment for a pre-sports check-up is also a key factor. Our friends at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons provide this information as well as some tips:
- Equipment is a big deal! Players must wear a helmet, pads (shoulder, hip, tail, knee), pants, thigh guards, jersey, mouth guard with strap, athletic supporter, proper shoes, and safety glasses or contacts, if needed.
- Coaches need to have basic skills when it comes to treating scrapes, cuts, and bruises, and they need to have a way to reach emergency personnel if the need arises.
- If a player is returning after an injury, they need to be cleared by a physician. This means that they have been evaluated and have no residual tenderness, inflammation, motion issues, or decreased strength in the affected area. When it comes to concussions, it is advisable to have exams by a doctor specializing in head injuries.
- Players should be active in the off-season as well. This will make it easier to adjust to the demands of the season.
- Hydration is very important during practice and play.
- Parents and coaches need to be mindful of pain behaviors in children as well as teach the players to raise any concerns right away. If there seems to be an issue, back off or modify the activity to decrease risks.
Have fun and be safe!
-Your friends at OIP
AAOS. “Football Injury Prevention.” OrthoInfo. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. 1995-2017. Web. July 2017.