Let’s Keep Sports Fun.

Sport injuries are among the leading causes of disability for adolescents and young adults. Many factors contribute, including training load, general wellness, and how much fun one has while playing their sport.

Here are a few things we recommend focusing on to help your young athlete stay healthy and avoid burnout.

Focus on 1 organized sport at a time: A high total volume of organized sport participation per season is an injury risk factor.

Incorporate unstructured play time: Kids need to be kids! Unorganized play is great for learning how to fall, move in different directions, and find fun in movement. Focus on building quality sleep, nutrition, and mindset habits.

Monitor organized sport time per week: Here’s a simple guideline to keep in mind - young athletes should not participate in organized sports more hours per week than their age. For example, a 10 year old should not participate in more than 10 hours/week of organized sports.

Add in sports performance training: Around ages 8-12, it is safe (and recommended) for kids to begin participating in sport performance training activities (e.g. strength training, agility, plyometrics, etc.). This helps develop fundamental movement skills and reduce their injury risk.