It happens far too much: the parent that pushes their child into becoming an athlete, no matter if the child wants to or not. The parent yells down the child's throat if they miss a basket or strike out. Or the coach makes the team run countless drills after losing a game. The kids play sports outside in the intense heat with a lot of football padding on. They are forced to play sports with an injury. Sometimes the children are forced to become dehydrated.
Around 20 million children and adolescents play competitive sports. Approximately 3.5 million children are injured each year, resulting in $50 billion in annual medical bills. Forty thousand children's knees are injured in sports with half of them having the effects to last throughout their lifetime.
There is an increase of children who are playing sports in the last few years, and also an increase in sports injuries. This could be because sports such as soccer are becoming more popular each year. Media coverage also can play a big part in the increase in statistics. The youth look up to the professional athletes, and refer to Tom Brady, Shaquille Oneal, and Derek Jeter as heroes. High school athletes push themselves to earn a college scholarship. Sports are becoming more and more popular by females as well. And now, every time you turn on the television, another celebrity has a reality show; The Life of Ryan and Rob and Big make sports such as skateboarding seem cool.
If on site medical supervision was provided during every practice and game, the severity of these injuries may be lessened. The coach may not put the player back in the game when they should sit out on the sidelines. If the coach was being supervised, football players might not have died or suffered injuries from being dehydrated or have heat strokes. Instead they would be able to take more breaks, drink more fluids, provide shade to rest and cool off in, shorten the practices during the daytime, and practice without the heavy padding. Poor playing field conditions and improperly fit safety equipment also plays a role in potential harm.
Children's bodies are still growing, their coordination is still developing, and their emotional maturity levels are changing, which proves that injuries in children are different than in adults. A head injury sustained by a child is far more severe than one by an adult due to the ongoing neuron-cognitive development of the brain. The youth can not properly address the risks of over-exerting themselves. If the growth plates are involved in a fracture, it could result in more aggressive surgical interventions to prevent premature closure. Children who are just beginning to participate in a sport or activity are also more susceptible to an injury.
Accidents are going to happen sometime in a child's life, but incidents because of a parent or coach's poor judgment or neglect does not have to. Sports are great; they keep kids out of trouble, give them exercise, teach them how to participate as a team, and have some fun. Parents and coaches should be wise when it comes to sports and help the children avoid the unnecessary injuries.
