Sports Injury Prevention for High School Athletes

Meagan Kasper & Ashlyn Overton

Statistics • More than 7 million high

schoolers play at least one sport

• Just under 1.5 million sports-related injuries per year

• 1.35 million children admitted into an Emergency Department/ER annually due to a sports-related injuryo >160,000 concussions

(2012)o $935 million each year

$6297.00

Who’s at risk? 10-15 year olds have the highest percentage of

sport-related injuries that result in an ER visit 12-15 year olds have the most reported

concussions Football has the highest number of sport related

injuries Although females are more likely to report it, both

genders are at risk for a sport-related injury

Factors of Sport-related Injuries Inadequate warm-up /

stretching Overuse Little Hydration Environmental

Equipment, field conditions

Unaware of symptoms of an injury

Factors of Sport-related Injuries Increased play intensity in a game or

competition Lack of reporting

Players believe injury is not serious, want to stay in the game 3 out of 10 kids think that good players

should keep playing their sport even when they’re hurt

Nearly half of all coaches report receiving  pressure (either from the parent or kid) to play an injured child during a game

Pressure to win 47% of coaches agree that they have

so many responsibilities and so little time that they can’t focus enough on injury prevention

What’s wrong with this?

Poor field conditions Improper

Equipment

What’s wrong with this? Contd.

Out-of-date / worn out equipment Lack of equipment / wrong uniform

Most common injuries In regards to emergency room visits, the four

sport-related injuries with the highest rates are:1. Strains/Sprains2. Fractures3. Contusions and abrasions4. Concussions

Concussion More than160,000 ED reported sport-

related concussions annually Every 3 minutes a child is seen in an

ED for a sports-related concussion Half of all coaches surveyed believe there

is an acceptable amount of head contact young athletes can receive without causing serious harm to the brain.

Difficulty writing and reading, drop in grades, constant headaches

Loss of motor functions, speech, sight…etc.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=wb6Bm5skuBA

Concussion contd. Symptoms Felt by Athlete

Headache/pressure in head Nausea/vomiting Balance problems/dizziness Double/blurry vision Sensitivity to light or noise Feeling sluggish Trouble concentrating or

remembering Confusion Just doesn’t feel right, feels

down

Concussion contd. Signs Observed by Coach or

Parent Appears dazed or stunned Confused about a play or position Forgets an instruction Is unsure of game, score, or

opponent Moves clumsily Answers questions slowly Loses consciousness Shows mood, behavior, or

personality changes Can’t recall events before or after

a fall https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bM4WoK2c1aI

Strains and Sprains Sprains - Stretching ligament past its limit

Causing deformity or tear Strains – “pulled muscle” Over 450,000 ED reported sprains/strains due to

sports 33% of all sport-related injuries

Always warm-up/cool-down Exercise often to keep flexibility

Get Up & Stretch!

Chest Stretch Stand tall, feet slightly

wider than shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent

Hold your arms out to the side parallel with the ground and the palms of the hand facing forward

Stretch the arms back as far as possible

You should feel the stretch across your chest

Upper Back Stretch Stand tall, feet slightly

wider than shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent

Interlock your fingers and push your hands as far away from your chest as possible, allowing your upper back to relax

You should feel the stretch between your shoulder blades

Shoulder Stretch Stand tall, feet slightly wider

than shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent

Place your right arm, parallel with the ground across the front of your chest

Bend the left arm up and use the left forearm to ease the right arm closer to you chest

You will feel the stretch in the shoulder

Repeat with the other arm

Side Bends Stand tall, feet slightly

wider than shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, hands resting on the hips

Bend slowly to one side, come back to the vertical position and then bend to the other side

Do not lean forwards or backwards

Hip and Thigh Stretch Stand tall with your feet

approximately two shoulder widths apart

Turn the feet and face to the right Bend the right leg so that the right

thigh is parallel with the ground and the right lower leg is vertical

Gradually lower the body Keep your back straight and use the

arms to balance You will feel the stretch along the

front of the left thigh and along the hamstrings of the right leg

Repeat by turning and facing to the left

Abductor Stretch Stand tall with your feet

approximately two shoulder widths apart

Bend the right leg and lower the body

Keep you back straight and use the arms to balance

You will feel the stretch in the left leg adductor

Repeat with the left leg

Quadriceps Stretch Stand tall, feet slightly wider

than shoulder-width apart Take hold of the left ankle

with the left hand and ease the foot closer to you buttocks

Repeat with the right leg You will feel the stretch

along the front of the thigh If you cannot balance well,

you can do this lying down

Possible Solutions Education

Prevention programs Should focus on:

mental skills training (beliefs and attitudes), crisis intervention (what to do in the event of an injury), team building, communication, and specific injury prevention and rehabilitation activities (based on sport)

Coaches are qualified and up to date on appropriate techniques for teaching athletes

All players should be aware of concussion symptoms and encouraged to report them

Possible Solutions Incorporate drills of potentially

high-risk situations into practice under controlled conditions

Athletic trainers observing practices to identify and help remedy potential injury-causing situations

Increased pre-season training Conditioning & game-like practices

More stress on diligent use of proper equipment and technique, protective gear, and adequate uniforms in both practices and games

What’s already being done Laws concerning sport-related concussion include the

following elements: pre-participation clearance exams require parents and athletes to sign a consent form

acknowledging they recognize the risks require coaches to receive yearly education on concussion causes,

symptoms, return to play protocols and graduated recovery require the immediate removal of an athlete from play after a

sustained hit, fall, or other kind of injury and keep them out until cleared by a medical professional

allow an athlete to return to play only upon receiving a signed clearance document from a qualified medical professional