Sports & Recreation Safety for Children
Sports can provide children with physical (i.e. weight
maintenance, coordination, fitness) and emotional (i.e. confidence,
self-discipline, self-esteem) benefits. However, risks of injury do
exist. According to the United States National Institutes of Health
(NIH), from 1997 to 1999, kids between the ages of five and 14 had
almost 2.4 million recreational and sports injuries! Though the vast
majority of sports injuries among children are minor, they can produce
grave conditions and perhaps lifelong health difficulties.
Children are at an even greater risk than adults of becoming
injured, as they are still growing.
Thus, the possibility of acquiring
damaged muscles, ligaments, bones, and tendons, is much higher than for
adults. However, parents and coaches can take particular steps to lower
the hazards and brutality of sports-related and recreation-related
injuries, in children.
Children�s safety in recreational and sporting activities begins
with the organization of the activities themselves. Instead of being
grouped by age, the children should be grouped according to skill,
weight, and size. This is principally true in regards to contact sports.
The performances of children, who are smaller compared to others their
age, often exceed their capability. This is done to complete with
stronger and huger children their own age.
Thus, their chances of
becoming injured increases. It is vital to learn how certain sports
programs place children into groups.
Secondly, you ought to learn more about the coaches and sports
facility where your child plays. Certified athletic trainers with skills
in identifying and averting sports injures, work at several facilities.
Also, verify that sufficient Child Safety Signs and Children at Play
signs have been posted around the area.
In addition to the organization of your child�s sporting
activities, equipment is another major factor. More than 200,000
injuries yearly transpire in the U.S., on playground equipment.
Malfunctioning equipment or equipment not secured properly can augment
the risk of injury to your child. Furthermore, your child�s protective
gear should be the proper size, fit and safety-evaluated for a
particular sport.
Your son or daughter should also know how to use
protective gear properly.
Lastly, several medical-related steps can be taken to both
prevent and treat injuries. Before your child�s sports season starts,
your pediatrician should provide him or her with a physical examination.
Next, ensure that your child only plays sports when she feels
comfortable and physically able to do that. Nonetheless, even when
various precautions have been taken, such as the installing of Child
Safety Signs and Children at Play signs in an area, accidents happen.
When the child is injured, tired or sick, he or she must cease playing
immediately. �Playing through� the injury can be detrimental to the
child�s health. Also, if your child suffers an injury or a constant
symptom that negatively affects his or her playing ability, medical care
should be obtained.
Increasingly more children today are enjoying the world of
sports and recreation. While many benefits exist for them, parents
should also use various means to secure their safety, such as by posting
Child Safety Signs and Children at Play signs where the sporting takes
place.
to Your Success 
Perzina Munroe
Enjoy life, we all deserve it
http://www.babydarest.com
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