On any given weekend, or even most afternoons and evenings
following school, you’ll find fields full of kids playing soccer throughout Central
Texas. Soccer is a popular sport here year ‘round, but especially during the
fall.
According to the two major national youth soccer
organizations, there are close to 4 million kids currently registered as players
across the country.
Just as the sport is reaching an
all-time high in popularity, new research shows there’s a rise in injuries in
young players.
Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Oho conducted a study on children’s soccer injuries,
ages 7 to 17, spanning nearly 25 years (from 1990-2014).
Here’s what they found:
- There was a 78 percent increase in soccer-related injuries reported in hospital emergency departments, with the annual rate of injuries soaring by 111 percent.
- The majority of injuries occurred from falling or when a player was struck by another player or the ball.
- Girls were more prone to knee or ankle injuries than boys.
- 35 percent of injuries were sprains and strains, 23 percent were fractures, and
- 22 percent were soft tissue injuries (to a muscle, ligament, or tendons).
- Concussions accounted for 7 percent of all injuries.
According to experts, one possible explanation for the rising
number of injuries could be attributed to the sheer number of kids playing
these days. More kids are involved in youth sports now over any other
extracurricular activity…and kids are finding their way to the fields at an
earlier age than ever. The younger a
child starts playing a sport, unfortunately, the greater the risk there is for
injury.
To keep your soccer stars safe this season, encourage them to fuel
up with proper nutrition, and warm up their bodies before each game or
practice. And also, make sure that they get ample rest between games so their
growing muscles and bones have time to recover.
(Adapted from Healthline)
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