Tips to Protect Your Kids in Fall Sports

by Maureen L. Crotty, DPM

If your children are playing team and individual sports this fall, advice on conditioning and equipment may be available at some schools, other schools may not have the resources available to offer your kids the best advice. As parents, you should be concerned about your children's involvement in sports that require a substantial amount of running, jumping, and turning (like soccer and basketball), or involve contact (like in football).

Every fall at Green Country Podiatry Center, we at notice an increase in ankle injuries among young athletes as more children actively participate in sports. This focus on fitness is outstanding, but parents need to be vigilant to make sure their kids are getting the best advice on how to stay injury free. Football, soccer and basketball are the sports most likely to lead to sprains, broken bones and other problems. My top recommendation for parents is to get ankle injuries treated right away.

What seems like a sprain is not always a sprain; in addition to cartilage injuries, your son or daughter might have injured other bones in the foot without knowing it. Have a qualified doctor examine the injury. The sooner rehabilitation starts, the sooner we can prevent long-term problems like instability or arthritis, and the sooner your child can get back into competition. You should pay attention to five tips that could protect them from serious ankle injuries:

1. Have old sprains checked by a doctor before the season starts. A medical check-up can reveal whether your child's previously injured ankle might be vulnerable to sprains, and could possibly benefit from wearing a supportive ankle brace during competition.

2. Buy the right shoe for the sport. Different sports require different shoe gear. Players shouldn't mix baseball cleats with football shoes.

3. Children should start the season with new shoes. Old shoes can wear down like a car tire and become uneven on the bottom, causing the ankle to tilt because the foot can't lie flat.

4. Check playing fields for dips, divots and holes. Most sports-related ankle sprains are caused by jumping and running on uneven surfaces. That's why some surgeons recommend parents walk the field, especially when children compete in non-professional settings like public parks, for spots that could catch a player's foot and throw them to the ground. Alert coaching officials to any irregularities.

5. Encourage stretching and warm-up exercises. Calf stretches and light jogging before competition helps warm up ligaments and blood vessels, reducing the risk for ankle injuries.

For more information on treating ankle sprains, visit the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons' patient information Web site, Foot Health Facts.

Dr. Crotty and the staff at Green Country Podiatry Center are always ready to help you if you need treatment of foot and ankle conditions. Please logon to www.gcpod.com, or call 918-747-4855 for more information.