Young Runners – Connecting with Kids

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Young
Runners

For
two years now, seven-year-old Miray has been training hard with a goal
in mind and she says even a little pain can’t slow her down.

“Maybe
if I had a cramp I would try to run it off I guess, try to run faster
to make it go away,” says Miray.

While
Miray’s parents are pleased she’s so driven, they also recognize
there are dangers. In young athletes, bone-tendon muscle units, growth
areas within bones, and ligaments experience uneven growth patterns
leaving them susceptible to injury. Parents should be wary of the signs.

“Complaining
of shin splints, pain in their knees, have problems walking afterward
or problems walking up steps cause they just have a tightness or pain
in their knees,” explains Kevin Mason, a professor of Pediatrics.

For
young runners before the age of ten, pediatricians recommend that kids
limit distances to a mile or mile and a half. And while parents may
consider kids to be naturally limber, for them, stretching before any
workout is as important as it is for older athletes.

“Maybe if
I had a cramp I would try to run it off I guess, try to run faster to
make it go away.”

Miray, age 7
 

WHAT
PARENTS SHOULD KNOW

We want our children
to know that fitness is important. We want them to be involved In sports
activities that are enjoyable and that encourage the development of fitness,
motor skills, social skills and life-long appreciation. For the most part,
sports activities for young people are not high risk and are generally
safe. But, it is the extreme we need to be concerned about. Kids are playing
more intensely these days and often without the proper conditioning, warm-up
or recovery time. This can often result in injuries — some minor,
some serious, and still others that can cause lifelong medical problems.

Young athletes should
not be looked at as smaller versions of an adult. There are marked differences
in coordination, strength and stamina between a youth and an adult. In
younger athletes, bone-tendon, muscle units, growth areas within bones,
and ligaments experience uneven growth patterns, leaving them susceptible
to injury.

Watching for early
signs of physical problems is important. Many sports injuries in young
athletes are caused by excessive, repetitive stress on immature muscle-bone
units. It is the responsibility of parents and coaches to provide protection
for young athletes through proper conditioning, proper treatment of injuries
and rehabilitation programs.

Parents also need
to make sure their child’s coach has the proper training to supervise
the particular sport their child is involved in. The environment should
be a positive one that emphasizes healthy competition and not just about
winning.

How
To Prevent Sports Injuries

  • Make sure you are in proper physical
    condition to play the sport.
  • Follow and know the rules of the
    sport.
  • Wear the appropriate protective
    gear.
  • Use equipment properly
  • Warm up before playing
  • Don’t play when you are tired
    or in pain

A bit of advice: Cross-training
is a great way to give your body a break from a normal running routine.
Activities such as rowing, swimming and cycling can help a runner
with injury-prevention.

Did You Know?

  • According to the American Academy
    of Orthopedic Surgeons, in 1997, more than 3 million children
    under the age of 15 were treated for injuries sustained while
    playing sports, including more than 15,000 track-and-field incidents,
  • There is an ongoing study that began
    in 1979 that shows, of 18 high school sports including football,
    girls’ cross-country has the highest injury rate. The research
    found 61.4 injuries for every 100 runners. Boys’ cross-country
    is fifth and has an injury rate about two-thirds that of girls’
    cross-country.

Resources

Way Cool Running
Runner’s
World
Youth Runner

The New Jersey Association
of USA Track and Field — http://www.usatl.org/assoc/nj/

The American Academy
of Orthopedic Surgeons —
http:// www.aaos.org

Morehouse School of
Medicine — http://www.msm.edu

For
more information on
parenting issues contact us:
Connecting with
Kids