Preparation for summertime activity is heating up. Tennis to baseball, organized sports to recreational activities, euphoric Minnesotans young and old are cleaning clubs and oiling gloves as they ready for a sunny season of sporting fun.

Unfortunately for some, it won't be easy to overlook a byproduct of this seasonal euphoria affecting millions of children and teens annually: sports injury. For the one in 10 athlete aged 5-17 who will be injured this year, it'll likely be a summer to forget.

Injuries among young athletes are on the rise, according to the National Youth Sports Foundation; it attributes 40 percent of all childhood injuries to sports or recreation. Growing sports participation is cited as a factor.

Many injuries are preventable, says Jim Rakow, ATC/R, a certified athletic trainer and sports conditioning specialist at the Minnesota Sports Medicine, a network of sports medicine providers. Rakow, who has worked with athletes across the Twin Cities metro area says: "Adult supervision, an understanding of growth risk factors and fitted equipment can reduce injury."

Slow down, ease in to play
Parents and coaches can play a role in preventing injury. "Everyone is eager to get outside and be active, often leading to injuries that are a result of too much, too soon," Rakow says. Many children don't understand the concept of training for sports, or transitioning from winter to summer activities. In addition to pre-season conditioning, adults can help children take a deep breath and move into seasonal activity progressively.

Symptoms of "too much, too soon" often surface early in the season, and include heel, shin and knee pain. Athletes at risk include those who play running sports, such as soccer and football as well as dancers and gymnasts. Shoulder tendinitis is often seen in swimmers and ballplayers. Proper warm up and cool down, stretching, rest, ice and practices 60 minutes in length are remedies for these complaints, says Rakow. "Pain lasting more than two weeks warrants a visit to a doctor."

Growth plate injuries unique to young athletes
Young athletes are not skeletally mature and are susceptible to growth plate injuries. Repetitive motion and vigorous activity can stress growth plates located near the ends of leg and arm bones, disrupting growth cartilage necessary to skeletal formation. Marked by knee pain that worsens over time, Osgood-Schlatter disease can occur in teens and children during growth spurts, explains Rakow. Upper body growth plate injuries include "little league elbow," gymnast's wrist and swimmer's shoulder. An off-season strengthening program and progressive play can reduce injury.

Water, water, water
Summer heat-related injuries respond well to water and common sense. According to Rakow, "Most kids are chronically dehydrated. Worse, they opt for pop when thirsty, which can further dehydrate." Young athletes don't sweat as efficiently as adults; young bodies absorb more heat, raising core body temperature before breaking a sweat. Heat and dehydration can lead to heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

Water, sports drink and juice breaks during competitive and recreational activities are a must. Eight ounces every 20 minutes is standard, says Rakow, and more following games. Attention to heat and humidity, to include wearing light, breathable clothing, is critical. "Sideline misting sprays are helpful in keeping kids cool during warm-weather play," he adds.

One size does not fit all
Helmets, pads, shoes, mouth and shin guards, and eyewear must be fit to the athlete. Equipment should be sport-specific: helmets for baseball, mouth guards for football, eyewear for racquet sports. Properly fit helmets – snug, square to the head and buckled – can prevent head injuries in cycling, in-line skating, roller skiing and contact sports. Shoes should provide adequate foot support and shock absorption, and be replaced frequently during growth spurts.

Rakow says risk factor recognition is an important first step to preventing sports injuries. For more information, see the Institute for Athletic Medicine's "Sports Medicine for Young Athletes: A guide for parents, teachers, and coaches," a user-friendly handbook covering such topics as conditioning, emergency procedures, and injury evaluation and prevention. Call Fairview Press at 1-800-544-8207.

To see a sports medicine doctor, call MSM at 612-273-4800.