Jerald Shin Shapiro asked:


In every game, there is always the possibility of running into an injury instead of the goal line. If you are affiliated with sports as a coach, you will want to make sure that you help your players to stay safe and avoid possibilities for injury. By keeping a checklist in mind of what the players need and how to meet this, you will have the ability to keep them going in the game. 

One of the most important factors that relates to children’s safety and injuries is related to the growth of the child. Because they are not fully developed, an injury can cause problems not only with the pain at the moment, but also with potential future problems. There are several who have found the various reasons for the injuries, many which could be prevented. 

The number one cause for injuries in sports is related to a lack of education. Children will go without wearing the proper safety gear, or will take a wrong move that could have been prevented if they knew it would injure them. Because this is the number one reason for injury, it is important for coaches to inform every player of the importance of safety gear and educating them on ways to prevent injury while playing. 

A second factor related to sports injuries is from children who do not receive the proper conditioning before they go to play a game. They should be practicing scenarios of the game as well as learning techniques that will help them to reach the goals of the game without making a wrong move. Once you learn the basics of maneuvers for games, it is your priority to make sure that all of your players understand why the moves are set rules. 

If you are looking at the different possibilities to help your players stay healthy and safe in practice and in a game, then it is up to you to step up to the plate. Making sure that they receive the proper education and observing their use and understanding of safety gear can help save children from the fall.



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Collin Harvey asked:


If you are like any other that is involved in sports, you want to make sure that every player stays well and is always able to play in the game.  Of course, some injuries are inevitable.  It is easy for the children or youth to make a wrong move, adjust the wrong way, or simply run straight into the ball.  If you want to help with possible injuries, there are several ways to come prepared.  

The first thing that you should keep in mind is that most injuries are preventable.  Of course, kids will be kids, and it will be inevitable that they will make a wrong move.  However, the more you let them know about safety equipment, the less likely you will be to have major problems.  You can also be sure to over emphasize specific movements in every type of game.  Making them comfortable with these movements will help create an extra safety feature.  

Even if you had all of the wrapping in the world to help prevent injuries, there will still be specific injuries that occur.  Because you are playing a sport, you can easily expect twisted ankles, knees and arms.  If this happens, make sure that you have your first aid kit with you.  You can wrap the fractured or broken area until they get to a hospital.  Another type of injury that may occur may be from getting hit by a ball.  Having an ice pack or a way to help relieve some of the pain will help until they can get to the right area and receive medical attention, if they need it.  

These are not the only types of injuries that may occur.  There is also a caution that needs to be taken for things such as heat disorder.  It is easy for any player to get a little too much sun, causing them to overheat, and possibly pass out.  If this happens, be sure to get them in the shade and give them water.  You can easily prevent this by requiring all of your players to drink water on a consistent basis.  

No matter what the injury, there is always a solution.  By knowing what can be expected and coming prepared, you will be able to help the players enjoy the game, without walking away with an injury.  There are some stories that every child will want to tell about their game.  You want to make sure that it is not about an injury that occurred.



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John Perry asked:


Playing sports is a lot of fun. It’s one of the most exhilarating activities that you can do. Not only is it fun, though; it’s also healthy.

Playing sports can also be a form of body and mind exercise. It can strengthen your muscles and your bones. It also improves your thinking abilities since sports activities hone your mind in matters of strategy and technique.

In fact, playing sports is such a great activity that it can even improve your personality in the aspects of fairness and good sportsmanship. However, that’s not to say that there are no downsides to playing sports.

Playing sports can be quite dangerous especially if you’re inexperienced. If any accidents occur when you’re playing sports, the effects can range from mild to serious. You can either get a minor bruise, a moderately severe sprain, or an injury that you will have to live with for the rest of your life. You might even sustain an injury that could cost you your life. So, it’s quite important to know how to avoid these sports injuries in the first place.

The Proper Gear

The first thing to do when you play sports is to prepare all the equipment that you will need. Your equipment includes not only the balls, the nets and such necessary implements but also your protective equipment.

For example, in football (which is arguably one of the roughest sports) there are a lot of protective gears that you need to put on. The first and probably the most important one is the helmet which is protection for your head or your cranium.

Helmets differ depending on the sport you’re going to play. Football helmets are much bulkier than other helmets. For one thing, football helmets are complete with a face guard and they almost completely cover the head.

There are other protective equipment like ankle guards, shoulder pads, shin guards, mouth guards, and knee caps. All of these are designed to protect the important parts of the body from any injury.

If you participate in football, chances are high that you’ll be falling a lot. All these pads cushion your body whenever you fall or forcibly collide with another player. They therefore help in preventing bone fractures or sprains. Such equipment may be bulky and heavy and they might prevent you from moving freely but, then again, isn’t it always better to be safe than sorry?

Get a Physical

You need to consult with your doctor before you become active in any sports activity. Get a physical exam. This is a precautionary activity that is usually required of professional athletes. It wouldn’t hurt to follow their example even if you only plan on playing football with your weekend buddies.

Warm Ups

Before doing anything strenuous, you have to warm up your body. Some people forgo doing warm-ups because they think that it’s too troublesome; they’re too impatient and want to get into the game the game immediately.

But this shouldn’t be so. Warm-ups are incredibly important because they condition the body for the work-out that it’s going to receive. Also, contrary to what other people think, warm-ups don’t necessarily mean stretching. In fact, stretching should be saved until after you’ve warmed your body up a little since if you stretch yourself too much, you might end up tearing a few ligaments.

The first thing that you should do when you’re warming up is to take a light jog. Then, when you’re done, start stretching your muscles starting from the head down. You can start by rotating your neck, then your shoulders, then your arms, then your waist, your hips, your legs, and then your foot. Sixteen counts on each body part should do.

All in all, warm-ups should last for 15 to 30 minutes. Stretching helps by improving the blood circulation in the said body parts and also by increasing the body’s temperature. That way, once you get into the field, your body will be more than ready to accommodate all the strenuous tasks that it will have to do.

Strength Training and Bodybuilding Exercises

If you want to be in top form when you play, your body must be in top form, too. Aside from giving you the required energy for sports, though, a well-honed body is also more resilient, more flexible and, therefore, less susceptible to sports injuries. Therefore, you should have strength training and regular bodybuilding exercises.

Practice

To avoid sports injuries, you’d do well to be good in your chosen sports. Thus, you’d better practice, practice and practice some more. Of course, do not do this without proper supervision. If no one qualified is there to supervise, no one would be able to tell you whether what you’re doing is right or wrong.

Following Rules

Rules are there for a reason. Usually, they’re qualified into two: rules made for scores or points and rules made for common courtesy. You see, some sports can be dangerous and there are some rules that are put in there for the sake of minimizing injuries and accidents.

Some rules in football that are focused on safety involve the types of blocking and tackling. If you block the opponent by grabbing him by his face mask, then your move will be considered illegal. Also, there’s a rule that prohibits tackling from behind and tackling using the top of your helmet. These rules are made for the official football league but they should also be used in informal games.

Safe Venue

Of course, when you play sports, you have to choose a safe place to play. When you’re playing rough contact sports like football, it’s best if you choose to play on a grass field. It won’t help if you play on concrete because if some accident does happen, falling on the cold, hard concrete will only make the fall harder.

Body Mechanics

When playing sports, you should employ what’s called “body mechanics”. Body mechanics maximizes your body’s potential for movement even as it minimizes the stress that it sustains.

For example, when jumping, make sure to bend or flex your knees to lessen the chance of joint dislocation when you land. Learn all about the techniques that can make falling easier and less severe on your body.

Constant Awareness

Also, when you play sports, you must constantly be aware of what’s happening around you. It won’t help if you’re not cooperating with your teammates.

For example, if two of you are trying to catch the ball, pay attention or you might crash into each other. If someone’s planning to tackle you, try to dodge. Evading is way better than getting hit since the latter leads to injuries.

Muscle Straining

It’s inevitable that your muscles will start to hurt when you play. Muscle pain is oftentimes normal, but that doesn’t mean that you have to ignore it. Never play through the pain because it will aggravate your condition. Take a break when your muscles start hurting. Rest the body part that hurts. It will also help if you elevate it. For example, if your leg is hurting, prop it up on a pillow or two.

It’s perfectly understandable to want to get right back in the game after you’ve sustained an injury especially if it’s an important game. But you have to remember that safety always comes first. If you disregard your injuries, it might get worse and the damage might become irreversible.

Sports are fun and all but that doesn’t mean that you have to give up your body in order to play them. Remember that there are things that are more important in life, like your own safety and wellbeing. Be wise when playing sports, have fun but don’t let it cloud your judgment.



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Mike Singh asked:


In order to reduce the risk of injury while exercising it is important for one to have flexible joints and toned muscles. This can be achieved by doing simple stretching exercises that form the basis of most workout routines.

The main goal should be to attain a wide range of motion and exercise according to your body type and fitness levels. There are several ways to achieve this goal.

One way is to do a short warm up before starting any routine. This helps to keep the joints and muscles flexible and more elastic while at the same time also enables a safer and higher intensity workout.

Cold muscles often tear or get stretched leading to acute pain so it is always recommended to do some stretching exercises before beginning any vigorous exercise. Even ten to fifteen minutes of basic stretching exercises or low impact jogging is enough to get the joints and muscles toned.

There are different kinds of stretching exercises which can be very useful. Static stretching is the more old fashioned stretch which involves stretching the arms, trunk, legs or neck and holding them for around 30 seconds. Dynamic stretching and ballistic stretching on the other hand involve more vigorous weight assisted or bouncing style stretches where extra force might be applied.

Dynamic stretches can even include holding your arms out sideways and twisting them from left to right across the front of the body and repeating for 30 seconds. Another interesting technique involves the use of a short bar that is placed across the neck with the support of the shoulders. The hands should be placed on the bar and then the body is bent slowly to the left and then the right so that the head is moved towards the edge of the foot.

For abdominal exercises, using a large rubber ball is very effective. One should lie backwards on the ball and slowly raise the arms above the neck and repeat 10 times. If you want to loosen the pressure on the hamstrings then you can lie on your back and raise one leg upward and stretch. You can even take the help of a towel by wrapping it around the leg that is outstretched and pull the ends toward you slowly.

If you want a full back stretch, lie on your back and bring both knees to the chest. Clasp both hands around the knees and gently rock your body so that when you roll forward your feet hit the floor and when you roll backwards your head touches the floor. Repeat this exercise at least 10 times.

In order to tone the groin muscles you can also make use of a large rubber ball. Place one knee on the ball and slowly rotate the ball backwards and forwards just a few inches away from your body.

Touching your toes is an excellent warm-up exercise to stretch the leg and back muscles. However, people who suffer from problems pertaining to the lower back should first consult an experienced physician before attempting these exercises.

The key to flexible and supple joints and muscles is to do stretching exercises at least a few times a week. This will not only help to decrease the risk of injury but will help you attain maximum flexibility.



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