Weekly Health Page Articles: Orthopaedic Institute

Give Your Kids a Sporting Chance

Participation in youth athletics improves physical fitness, coordination and self-discipline, while also giving kids valuable opportunities to learn teamwork. Still, sports activities can result in injuries, ranging from minor to lifelong medical problems.

"The bones, muscles, tendons and ligaments in young athletes are still growing, which makes them more susceptible to injury," says Patrick R. Knight, MD, orthopaedic surgeon on staff at Saint Francis Medical Center. "Some kids may also be physically less mature than their peers and try to perform at levels for which they are not ready."

In addition to communicating with their family doctor on a regular basis about the overall health and well-being of their children, parents should also learn as much as possible about the sports their kids participate in to understand their training needs.

From Weekly Health Page: Oct. 22, 2006