Preventing Injuries

What I learned from getting injured, and how we can help kids stay strong, safe, and resilient.

Millions of kids suffer sports injuries every year, and I learned something fascinating by being one of them and going through the recovery process multiple times: almost all of those injuries are preventable. 

Preventing sports injuries is easier than most of us realize. Physically, emphasize functional fitness (training the body to work as a unit and practicing athletic movements like jumping correctly, falling safely, or changing directions). Mentally, teaching stress-management and fostering holistic resilience can also help so kids feel both brave and flexible in their ambitions. 

A note for the youth athlete: 

Taking good care of your body is absolutely essential to keep doing the things you love to do! Hydration, nutrition, and mobility are three of the most important things you can stay on top of. Your body will get stronger quicker than you’d believe — so strengthen and stretch it often. Rest is a huge tool for success too, so remember that pushing harder won’t always make you better. 

A note for the parent or mentor:

The importance of injury prevention isn’t something I would’ve understood when I was a child. Instilling positive associations with these preventative measures will help the kids we care about invest more in having a healthy body! And, when something unpredictable might happen and result in an injury, showing a child that they are brave and capable of overcoming it matters most. If their goals change as a result of their experience, allowing flexibility for that is also proven highly preventative for re-injury incidents. Trust their gut!