We were all there at one point in our lives. We all wanted to be a professional athlete of some sort; whether it was a football star, a baseball player, a basketball player or a golfer. We all had dreams and fascinations of running out of the tunnel on Super Bowl Sunday or hitting a home run to win the World Series.
Children these days are no different. Nor should they be! Who are we to take away their dreams and aspirations. The only problem with this is that kids today want to reach that goal so bad, and often times the parents are more gung-ho about it than they are, that they are willing to log long hours playing and practicing in order to force this dream to become a reality. What typically results, aside from a broken dream, is some sort of injury or pain that the child may have to live with their entire life.
There are more sports injuries affecting youth athletes' these days due to the fact that kids now play one sport year round; sometimes, even participating in multiple leagues of the same sport during the same season! While you have to admire their hard work and dedication, the idea that more is better in this case is not the best mantra to live by. Overuse injuries and repetitive strain injuries are common amongst youth athletes because they are trying to do to much. The important thing to remember is that when we play we break down and when we rest, we heal. If we don't rest, then we don't provide out body with ample time to heal and repair the damaged tissue that we have created during our games and practices. Without healing, we leave ourselves open to overuse and overtraining injuries that can not only prevent us from missing our current sports season, but may prevent us from ever playing our sport again.
It is essential that parents and coaches educate their children on the importance of taking time off from their sport, even if that means playing another sport all together. An off-season can not only serve as a time for the body to take a break from the repetitive movements of the sporting season, but also to help increase fitness levels with a proper strength and conditioning program.
The off-season program helps to better prepare the athlete for the increased amounts of work that they are going to have to adapt to throughout the competitive season. The understanding of having an off-season or playing sports other than your primary sport, to help develop athleticism and different skill sets, is understood in many counties. America is one of the only countries were athletes choose one sport at a young age and specialize in only that one sport. This is mainly due to the fact that American sports like football, basketball, and baseball are extremely popular and athletes' in those sports can have very lucrative careers. However, for every athlete that "makes it", there are several millions more than do not. They either don't have what it takes, they suffer an injury, or they have been playing the sport year long since the age of 7 and are just down right sick of it.
We only have one body and to injure it at a young age can be devastating to us when we finally grow into our adult years. We understand that minimal exercise or sport is not good; however, it is overlooked that to much is just as bad. Make sure you educate your children on the importance of rest and taking a break every now and again. Seek out a qualified sports conditioning professional to help your youth athlete develop an off-season and in-season program to ensure that they get the proper training they need to help prevent injury and enhance their performance.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author's and don't not necessarily reflect the opinions of COR Clinic or is affiliates. Be sure to consult your physician before begining any exercise or fitness program.
