Videos

In a wide-ranging and informative presentation to parents in Grand Prairie, Texas as part of MomsTEAM's SmartTeams program, Sophia Grant, M.D., F.A.A.P, of Cook Children's Medical Center in Ft. Worth, Texas explains the benefits and drawbacks of youth sports, and talks about how coaches and parents can help keep youth athletes safe from psychological injury and sexual abuse.

Abuse in youth sports is surprisingly common, says Sophia Grant, M.D., of Cook Children's Hospital in Ft. Worth, Texas, with nearly half of athletes reporting suffering some form of emotional abuse playing sports, such as name calling or yelling by fans, coaches, or parents, playing sports.

The benefits of sports participation are numerous, says Lyle Micheli, M.D., Director, Division of Sports Medicine at Children's Hospital Boston, including improved physical fitness and opportunities for socialization.  Parents should help their child find a sport they enjoy, but too much sports can result in psychological burnout, physical injuries, and turn the child off to physical exercise.