HEALTHY FAMILY
Spring Sport Safety
Keeping Your Kid Off the Bench
BY HEATHER M. ROSS
Injury Prevention
Jepson, who has been practicing sports med-
icine for almost five years, says that the
most common injuries his centers treat are
sprains, strains and overuse injuries. But he
stresses that participating in spring sports
doesn’t have to be risky, and is good for
overall health.

“We strongly encourage everyone to par-
ticipate in athletics. It’s a great way to stay
active. Staying fit benefits physical health
and mental health,” says Jepson, who works
at locations in Frederick and Urbana.

As the saying goes, an ounce of preven-
tion is worth a pound of cure. One of the
most effective ways parents can help their
children prepare for the athletic season
is by encouraging something Jepson calls
“dynamic stretching.”
Dynamic stretching differs from the typi-
cal stretches we’re used to in that it focuses
on the movements associated directly with
the activity. Working through the motions
of what they’re going to do warms up the
muscles and tissues in that area.

While stretching might save your
child from strains and sprains, dedicated
single-sport athletes have another woe to
contend with—overuse injuries.

Overuse injuries are more likely to happen
when starting a new activity or increasing
time spent on an ongoing activity. Taking on
28 Washington FAMILY
MARCH 2023
too much physical activity too quickly can be
dangerous, and might have occurred if your
child’s sport restarted after a pandemic hia-
tus. The best thing you can do to help your
child is teach them to pace themselves.

“Remember, these are kids,” Jepson says.

“This is supposed to be fun.”
Jepson advises parents to equate hours
of participation with their child’s age. (For
example, a 4-year-old should have no more
than 4 hours of that sport per week.) And, he
encourages parents to let their child sample
other sports.

“We know research here says that early
sports specialization doesn’t really impact
your ability to play until you’re at least 12
years old, with tennis and gymnastics being
exceptions,” Jepson says.

Check Your Gear
“One of the things we always tell people is
that if there is a helmet for your sport, wear
it. You only get one brain,” Pugh says.

Parents should be sure to check that their
child’s equipment still fits. Many sports
activities were paused for an extended
period during the pandemic, leaving kids
time to grow out of old gear.

Know the Rules
The rules aren’t just for fun. Many rules exist
to keep the players safe, and sometimes,
rules are different as children get older and
move into more advanced leagues of a sport,
so it’s important to stay updated.

Take Care of Your Body
Adequate sleep, hydration and nutrition are
all important parts of sports safety. Accord-
ing to Pugh, these guidelines will help your
child avoid falls and impacts, which are the
main causes of injury in sports.

“You want to keep your mind clear, vision
clear, joints lubricated and be aware of your
surroundings,” Pugh says.

Another important step players should
take to prep for spring sports is getting a
sports physical. Physicals are important
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S taying active is an important part of
staying healthy, and spring sports
are a great way to keep your child on
the move. However, there are risks involved.

We spoke with Matthew Jepson, a sports
medicine physician at The Centers for
Advanced Orthopaedics, the second largest
provider of orthopaedic care in the coun-
try, with offices in Virginia, Maryland and
Washington, DC., and Bryan Pugh, execu-
tive director of the Baltimore-based Brain
Injury Association of Maryland, on how to
prevent some of the most common inju-
ries from spring sports and keep your kid
off the bench.