As a parent, your main job is to keep your kids safe. However, as your kids get older, there are going to be things that they want to do or participate in that could potentially injure them, especially sports. So while you can’t ensure that your child will never get hurt on the field or the court, there are things you can do to help mitigate these risks.
To help you learn how you can do this, here are three ways you can keep your kids safe when playing contact sports.
Keep Your Kids With Others Of The Same Size
Like most activities for kids, a lot of sports teams are put together based on age. But with any type of contact sport, the editors of Reader’s Digest share that it’s actually much safer for everyone involved if kids are grouped together based on their size.
When kids are grouped together with others their own size while playing a contact sport, there’s less of a chance for you major injuries to take place that can be caused by contact with someone much bigger than them, like a spinal cord injury. Additionally, grouping by size can also help your kids not to feel like they have to push themselves more than they should in order to remain competitive, as pushing past their physical limits can result in injuries as well.
Always Wear The Right Gear
Contact sports will generally require the athletes to wear some type of safety gear while they are playing. This gear will vary depending on what the sport is and what position your child is playing. But regardless of this, it’s vital that your child always wears their gear in order to protect themselves.
In addition to having the right gear, WebMD shares that you also want to ensure that the gear they’re wearing fits properly. When gear is either too large or too small, it’s not going to give the protection that is otherwise could or that your child needs. Along with this, you also need to monitor the condition of the gear your child uses, since old or worn-out gear can be less effective, too.
Be On The Lookout For Injuries
For some kids, they’ll do just about anything to keep playing the sport they love. In some instances, this means playing through pain or injury. And while this might seem admirable, playing through an injury can be very dangerous.
To combat this, the Lehigh Valley Health Network recommends that parents and coaches know the signs of injury, know how to treat common injuries for their sport, and have a plan for recovery after an injury is sustained.
If your child plays a contact sport, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you keep your kid safe from injury.