Question: Which youth sports are most prone to over-use injuries? Why? Is there a “good” age to begin specializing in one sport or position?

Answer: I am not aware of any specific sport placing youth athletes at a higher risk of overuse injuries than another sport. Any sport at any age can result in overuse injuries. The most important factor in preventing these problems is an appropriate program for conditioning and stretching. This is true for both children and adults. Children in specific sports, however, are getting more injuries because they play one or two sports year-around. Their muscles, bones and ligaments are not fully developed, and thus, a lower degree of stress to the joints can cause injury in children as compared to adults.

I tell my athlete patients and their parents that children should not specialize in a single sport throughout the year until their adolescent growth spurt has stopped. In most cases this occurs 1-2 years after the onset of menstruation in females and age 15-18 in males. If they do decide to play only one sport prior to this time then they should have breaks during the year. For example if your child is a soccer player like my 9-year-old, he/she should rest from soccer for a minimum of four weeks four times per year. In addition they should play one league at a time and should not play or practice on daily basis. Even if soccer is their sport, you should encourage them to throw the baseball/football or shoot the basketball in the backyard and at school recess.

In terms of conditioning and stretching, only a minimal amount is needed for young children. Most coaches of organized sports teams will instruct the children on a good stretching program. However, if your athlete child begins to complain of pain, then you should take him/her to your pediatrician for an evaluation. If there is a concern they will usually refer you to an orthopedic sports medicine specialist. As children finish growing and become adults, a formal conditioning and stretching program become more important. In most cases the coaches will have a program, but if they don’t then you should seek a sports medicine specialist.

Vic Goradia, MD
Sports Medicine Specialist
Go Orthopedics
http://www.GoOrtho.net

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