Summer Sports Tips & Hydration!!

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Tips for Summer Sports & Hydration

With beautiful weather, no school, and the sun shining daily, most children spend their summers participating in some kind of physical activity, such as a local sports league, or taking lessons in a skill such as gymnastics or golf. As a parent, your goal is to keep your child happy, healthy, and functioning on the field. Since injury prevention is key, follow these easy suggestions to make the most out of your summer activities…and remember these tips apply to adults as well!

Choosing an Activity:
Determine the child's physical maturation level and match the child's size with an appropriate sport team or level.
Most competitive children's sports are organized according to chronological age rather than physical skill or maturation. Slower maturing children are often at greater risk of injury because they are competing with peers who may be larger and physically more developed.

Have an examination before play:
Have your child be examined from “Toes to Nose.”
This examination is important because it will detect imbalance, poor posture and nerve interference that once corrected will reduce chance of injury and increase performance.

Use Good Judgment about Pain:
Seek professional advice.
As children inevitably get hurt in play, it is critical that parents use good judgment in treating complaints about pain. What may act like a simple sprain may actually be a growth plate injury, which is very common in youth sports, and requires professional diagnosis and treatment.

Emphasize Water Breaks and Proper Hydration:
- Drink at least half your body weight in ounces of water per day.
- Take a water break every 15 minutes during activity, and begin the habit of having water on hand during games, bike rides, etc.
- Don’t overdo it: take the time throughout the day to hydrate. If you only drink water when you are feeling thirsty, you are already feeling the effects of dehydration.
- Don’t substitute juices or soda to prevent dehydration. Most contain sugars and caffeine that can speed up dehydration.

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