Helping Your Young Football Player Avoid Injury

Millions of kids across the country play football. It can be a great way for them to stay active and learn skills like communication within a team. But football comes with its fair share of risks, too. 

Specifically, football players face the risk of injury. Fortunately, that risk is lower than many people think. Among kids ages 5–15, organized football comes with fewer injuries than soccer, bicycling, and skateboarding. 

That said, if you have a young football player in your household, you want to take steps to prevent them from becoming part of an injury statistic. 

We can help. As experts in orthopaedic trauma, Karl Siebuhr, MD, and our team have extensive experience treating sports injuries here at Reconstructive Orthopaedics of Central Florida in Ocala, Florida. As a result, we have some tips to help prevent these types of issues. 

Here are a few things you can do to help your young football player avoid injury during this season and beyond. 

#1: Loop in your doctor

Schedule a sports physical for your child and at the appointment, tell the doctor that your child plays football. 

During the physical, the provider can look for potential problems. If they identify any issues, they can usually work with you to create a plan that protects your child. They might recommend playing with a brace on a problem joint, for example. 

#2: Warm them up 

Preparing the body is a key part of injury prevention.

For young football players, this should happen over time and day-of. 

Ideally, before their season starts, they’re doing some other kind of physical activity to get in shape. This strengthens their muscles and cardiovascular system, preventing overexertion once they hit the football field.

They should also be warming up before practices and games. Some stretching and dynamic activity, like jumping jacks, ready their body for football. 

#3: Check in regularly

Some kids will play through the pain because they love their sport, don’t want to let their teammates down, or are getting pushed by a coach. As a parent, you can help to ensure your child isn’t playing with a nagging issue — and potentially making it worse. 

Every few weeks, ask them how they’re feeling physically. Specifically, ask if anything hurts now or when they’re playing football. If they tell you that their knee sometimes hurts when they sprint, for example, that’s worth monitoring.

Kids’ bodies are resilient. Usually, when we catch injuries early and give them the opportunity to heal, young football players can bounce back quickly. But that generally requires the child or teen to rest the area. Don’t be afraid to have them sit out for a bit so they can heal. 

If you have a young football player, putting in the time to prevent injury can go a long way. If you want to talk with our team about extra steps you can take here — or when it might be time to bench your child or teen so an injury can heal — call our office or request your appointment online today.