General Health & Safety

One of the most important parts of the preparticipation physical evaluation (PPE) most sports programs require is the taking of a complete medical history. Parents should make sure that, regardless of the PPE form their child's program uses, the health professional asks the right questions.

Proper conditioning can reduce the risk of injury in all sports, including baseball and soccer. It is particularly important for female athletes, who are predisposed to instability or dislocation of the kneecap (patella), pain and problems under the kneecap, and non-contact injuries to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), especially in sports like soccer and basketball that require twisting and cutting.

New CPR Rules Don't Apply To Kids

Almost half (45.3%) of those surveyed (both males and females) said they had been emotionally abused while participating in sports (i.e. called names, yelled at, or insulted).

More and more, national, state and local youth sports organizations are establishing risk management committees to reduce the legal and financial risks to members of the boards of clubs, leagues and state associations through proper management, while at the same time safeguarding players.

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that aggressive driving and road rage have been responsible for 2.28 million crashes and 27,935 traffic fatalities in the past five years. Interactions that might have involved non-violent gestures a few years back now may involve golf clubs or weapons. Remember, the deadliest weapons of all are vehicles themselves.

When you call 911 it is essential that you stay calm and provide the dispatcher the information she needs to send EMS to the scene as quickly as possible.

One of the biggest hazards in outside field sports, yet often the most overlooked, is the field itself. Because parents can't count on the referee or their child's coach to inspect the field before a game begins to ensure that it is in a playable condition, the best injury prevention strategy is to set up a field detail of parents to do the inspection.