Tips to Preventing Sports Injury as Fall Season Ramps Up

Like towns throughout Massachusetts, Braintree has implemented the ImPACT Program to test student athletes' cognitive abilities so that if they experience a concussion during play there is a baseline for recovery.

But what about preventing injury in the first place?

As the fall sports season hits its stride, the Boston Children's Hospital provides soccer and football injury prevention tips for athletes and their families.

Nearly 50 percent of all football players sustain an injury each season, according to the hospital, and there is an increasing frequency of head trauma and concussions in soccer players. Overuse injuries are also becoming more common.

"It’s tempting for players to play through pain, but toughing it out may lead to more serious injuries,” Benton Heyworth, MD, of the Orthopedic Center and Sports Medicine Program at Boston Children’s, said in a press release. “Fortunately, there are things you can do to avoid the dangerous path to chronic injuries.”

Boston Children’s offers the following tips for young athletes to stay safe:

PREPARATION: A pre-season exam can spot existing injuries, the presence of concussion symptoms, or heart and lung problems that put athletes at risk for injury.

WARM UP: Always warm up before practices and games to get the blood flowing and muscles loose.

KNOW THE SPORT: Injuries often occur when players are out of position, confused about assignments or playing outside the rules. Young, inexperienced players need to study their playbooks and understand exactly what they are supposed to do and where they are supposed to be on every play.

STRESS FRACTURES: Wearing unsupportive or ill-fitting shoes, using incorrect playing techniques, training improperly, or training intensively after a sedentary period can lead to lower extremity stress fractures.

CONCUSSIONS: Players with concussions may feel dizzy, have headaches and vision problems and experience nausea or vomiting. Concussion symptoms aren’t always obvious, so coaches, staff and parents should pay close attention for at least 24 hours after a player has been hit in the head.