Shin splints

I am a parent of a former field hockey and women's lacrosse player. My daughter developed severe shin splints after a couple of intense years on artificial turf. By the time my daughter's injuries were diagnosed as severe and borderline fractures, a lot of damage had already been done. When we asked how long my daughter had felt this pain, she admitted that she had complained about shin pain for a long time and had been instructe to wrap her shins in ice after playing. She decided to forgo her senior year of playing these sports because she felt that the coach would continue to push her to play on. My daughter admitted that several other players endured the same treatment. As parents, we felt responsible for not picking up on the symptoms earlier. Is this a widespread problem? How can parents avoid injuries that gradually get worse and go undetectected until it is too late?