Injuries…What do we do?

 Injuries…What do we do?

“Never let a stumble in the road be the end of the journey.”

Unfortunately, in any sport, injuries are inevitable. Some are minor and some are major. Some can be even life changing and altering, while some can be a small scrape to the knee. But what can we do to prevent injuries from happening or to make them less likely to happen????

Many athletes and parents don’t realize that conditioning, weight training, speed and agility, and flexibility are CRUCIAL in helping prevent injuries. Our athletes need to be strong and agile to not only perform well on the field, but to also stay mentally focused and healthy. If your athletes become tired because they are out of shape whether it is during a practice or during a game, they are more likely going to gain an injury. When your athlete is in shape and consistently keeping their muscles strong and their bodies flexible and agile, they will be less prone to injuries because they will be able to control their body on the field when they competing during those long game days.

So what can we do as coaches and parents to help our athletes stay strong and healthy? Here are just a few examples below, but CONSISTENCY is key!

1. Include conditioning in practices
2. Work on speed and agility at practice
3. Higher a trainer to come out to practices
4. Provide a training program for them to follow at home during the season and for off season
5. Make sure stretching is a high priority

This is just a small, yet simple list that can be incorporated into your athlete’s routine. Better yet, you will also be getting your athlete ready for college ball when 5am weights and conditioning begin! You can even personalize and tailor it to the positions they are playing on the field so that you work on specific muscle groups along with full body workouts that will keep their bodies alert, strong, and in shape for each season.

What do you do after your athlete already had an injury?

Sometimes our athletes make an astonishing play, but get hurt, it happens! OR maybe your athlete’s body got tired and they tweaked their knee, or their mechanics at a young age led to an injury as they got older. Injuries are part of the sport, and while we work hard to prevent them, sometimes it’s just a matter of timing and luck!

If your athlete is injured, make sure you are taking the doctor and physical therapy sessions serious! Learn as much as you can about the injury-ask questions about the injury, how to prevent it from occurring again, and any exercises that they should and shouldn’t do for it specifically. The more you know about your injury, the more you will be able to take care of yourself, prevent it from happening again, and be able to keep it strong for future seasons.

 Don’t wait on helping your athletes, start NOW in helping them perform their best while preventing injuries!

Written by Nikoli Sharp