Youth Sports: You’ve Lost Your Minds

Rant time: Here it is 1:30AM and I’m reading once again about a complex in Georgia with “state of the art” fields that include some things even more than what is available at the Major League Baseball level! To go along with it are some complaints from parents about what they consider to be “nickel and dime” efforts but one of the organizations and some of these parents claim it is simply a matter of business.

Why Just Football?

On this blog, I’ve made it a habit to talk about other sports. I love football and many of you I’m sure are aware of that! But football is always in the spotlight and when it comes to injuries, there’s no getting out of the spotlight for the game of football. But football is not the only sport for which there is serious risk of serious injury. Why, then is there so much emphasis on safety in football and not other sports?

HIPS: Two Different Knee Evaluations

In my latest attempt at some humor, and a chance to educate, I bring you my newest series.. This series “Hips: One Four Letter Word You Must Use” will take you through my thoughts over the last several months on the importance of the hips in exercise, fitness, rehabilitation, and sports enhancement. It truly is a topic that I have grasped full-on and really believe that if our hips are weak, we WILL get injured. And most often it is not our hips that get injured in this process! Please join me in this journey as we will explore the hip complex and its importance to the rest of our body!

I have a strong belief that the hips play major roles in all knee pain. But the initial evaluation is not always the place to immediately address the hips. I’m going to describe two of my recent evaluations and I think you’ll see what I mean.

The Comeback: ESPN Feature Story

This is just a remarkable story. I caught this last night on ESPN and knew I had to share. Congratulations to Bree for achieving her goals regardless of the obstacles put in front of her.

Concussions: Not Just Males and Not Just Football

Here at The Concussion Blog, we talk all things concussions. Concussions are brain injuries and they are definitely something we must continue to learn more about and continue to educate the youth and the parents. Dustin and I are both Certified Athletic Trainers at the high school level and I really believe that puts us on the “front lines” when it comes to concussions and concussion education. But I think something that gets lost in the whole concussion issue that a concussion is NOT a football problem; it is a SPORTS concern. This article will once again present another sport that brings its own risks of concussion and it needs to be brought forward once again. Cheerleading, girls basketball, and girls soccer are all prime examples of concussion sports that slide underneath many people’s radar.

To read the rest of the article, click here.

Concussions in Girls’ Soccer

I received an email from our high school nurse yesterday about a segment on Rock Center on MSNBC for last night. This segment was telling the story of a few high school girls in Pennsylvania and the struggles they have had dealing with concussions and post-concussion syndrome. I have linked to the video below and then I have included my thoughts which I had sent back to her and to our girls’ soccer coaches.

Youth Athletes Dealing with Sports Injuries

I found this video on YouTube and although it’s a couple of years old, I think it is important for us to be thinking about and understand. ACL injuries in female athletes have a large presence in high school and youth sports. Check out this video…

Soccer Injuries in Female Youth Players: Comparison of Injury Surveillance by Certified Athletic Trainers and Internet

This study was conducted to compare the accuracy of injury reporting by athletic trainers and through parent surveys. Soccer is one of the leading sports in the world and one of the most common causes for sports injury in youth athletes. There is not a lot of research available for this age group because these teams and leagues often do not have the medical personnel available to address the injuries involved.

The first thing this group did was to collect injury information via a parent survey conducted on the internet. The parents were required to respond to the survey each week and were contacted if they did not complete the survey. They could not edit the information once it was submitted and they could not do multiple weeks at one time.

Research of the Week: Soccer Injuries in Female Youth Players

 

Soccer Injuries in Female Youth Players: Comparison of Injury Surveillance by Certified Athletic Trainers and Internet. Melissa A. Schiff,MD,MPH
; Christopher D. Mack,MS
; Nayak L. Polissar,PhD; Marni R. Levy; Sara P. Dow,MD; John W. O’Kane,MD

Check back later this week..