First, it is important to note that most all people, if they desire, can participate in sports. However, there are certain medical conditions or physical limitations that may prohibit participation in a certain sport. It is imperative that, before starting any physical activity, you evaluate your child’s readiness with their doctor. This is especially important for children with medical conditions such as congenital heart disease, asthma, or diabetes, just to name a few. Most organized programs (school teams) require a “sports physical”, but other programs may only require signed consent. Your doctor will be able to review or diagnose underlying medical conditions, review medications, and discuss safety in relationship to their sport of choice. Importantly, no person should participate in sports when they have a fever.

Once cleared for activity, you and your child should discuss the risk of injury in the context of their sport. Injury risk is not only sport specific, but also is related to a child’s stage of growth. Although some adolescents are skeletally mature in their late teens, most pediatric sports injuries are different from adult sports injuries because children are still growing. Preventing injury is complex and involves proper conditioning and preparation, good mechanics, knowledgeable coaching, well-designed equipment, adequate observation, and knowing when enough is enough. You must stress to your children that safety is your first priority, and that injuries can happen anywhere from the locker room to the field.

One common question relates to the ability of children to participate in strength training. First, no child or any skeletally immature adolescent should participate in weight lifting, power lifting, or body building. These are adult activities, period. However, under the supervision of a trained coach, many athletes can participate in strength training which involves the use of resistance (weights, bands) to strengthen muscles and improve form as well as in aerobic conditioning (running) and body weight exercises (push-ups, sit-ups, etc). Again, this is sport specific and must be supervised. Most children do not need supplemental protein or other aids and any such use must be discussed with your doctor.

The season of participation, which is related to hydration requirements, is also important. Many of us remember several tragic, heat-related deaths this summer during sports practices. When hydrating, especially during hot weather, you must remember to drink before, during, and after activity. The best gauge of hydration is the color of your urine and keeping it clear is the way to go. The best fluid for hydration is chilled water, as sports drinks have little utility in most situations.

Finally, as sports have evolved and have become increasingly competitive, overuse injury is becoming more common and is leading to injuries in youth previously only seen in long-term players. One example is ligament injury in the elbow in baseball pitchers which commonly results in a surgery known as “Tommy John” surgery. Although there are examples in almost every sport, this and others can be prevented by good coaching, knowing the limits of the developing body, allowing time for muscle recovery (sleep, “off” days, etc.), and not playing through pain. It is never appropriate to withhold information about pain or other symptoms during exercise. If you have concerns, discuss them with your child’s doctor.

As you can see, playing a sport isn’t as simple is it may seem. But, armed with the right information, your children can continue to participate in the activities they love.