According to USA Today, 1.35 million young athletics have sports injuries each year, with football athletes being at the top of the list for both injuries and concussions. If you are the parent of a child who has played football for a number of years, there's no doubt that you've witnessed at least several players being carted off of the football field and into an ambulance. Here are a few ways you can protect your football player from injuries and concussions.
Physical Therapy
It's a good idea to have your child take physical therapy as a preventative measure, especially if he or she has had a sports injury in the past. The first thing a physical therapist will do is a health and wellness assessment to determine what physical weaknesses your child may have that could result in a football injury. Then, the physical therapist can develop a schedule of therapy sessions and stretching and strengthening routines that your child can do at home or on the practice field.
Physical therapy can be very helpful during the off-season, especially if your child does not participate in any other sports. Keep in mind that the key to prevention of football injuries is to understand how the body moves during game play and what types of forces on your athlete could result in injuries, such as impingement in the shoulders when blocking a rushing tackler. For this reason, it is important to schedule therapy sessions with a physical therapist who is trained in sports injuries.
Hydration
Hydration is important for all athletes. However, football players may avoid concussions if they are properly hydrated. Dehydrated football players are at a greater risk of having concussions. The reason for this is due to a reduction in the cerebrospinal fluid in and around the brain when someone is dehydrated. This results in a reduction of the cushioning that the cerebrospinal fluid provides to the brain on impact, which can easily result in a concussion.
Therefore, make sure your football player is adequately hydrated, especially during the intensive two-a-days at the start of the training season, which are usually scheduled during the hottest months of the year leading up to the football season. Most football coaches and athletic trainers provide water to their players, but it's a good idea to give bottles of water or fluids with electrolytes to your player to take along to practice.
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