Insights

With sports seasons often lasting year-round, we are seeing a rise in common youth sports injuries like sprains, overuse issues, and even growth plate injuries. It is a critical topic, and one I recently discussed on Global News Morning Edmonton.

Here are the top recommendations that I covered in the interview to help prevent injuries and keep our kids enjoying the game.

Before Sport Evaluation: Parents often ask me, “How do you know when your kid is doing too much?!” Early evaluation is a game-changer! Think beyond the general physical – look for practitioners that understand function, movement, and stability. Research knowledge and experience more than one type of doctor or practitioner.

Proximal Stability Before Distal Mobility: Power and speed are the alluring targets but improving weakness related to the center of the body and other joints is key.

Cultivating the Mind-Body Connection: Sports aren’t just about physical prowess; the mind-body connection is where extraordinary lives. Accessing this fundamental resource is often underutilized in youth sports.

In the interview we also cover the idea of doing less versus more. And how precision is often more important than more reps and play. In fact, relaxation and precision provide power and strength.

These simple principles are at the heart of what is needed to prevent and help sport-related injury later in life. Attention to these basic concepts could improve confounding problems like the prevalence of elbow injuries in pitchers. As my mentor Karel Lewit said, “If you are treating at the site of pain, you are usually lost.”

Most sport-related injuries are rarely due to problems at the site of the injury or pain. And, recovering them improves when the practitioners and athletes understand this relationship.

Fascinatingly, these same principles apply to early and later adulthood and our games of life.

Learning that less, when doing what matters, is more, is certainly high value. Learning it at an early age is priceless.