Safety

Young volleyball players are prone to lower back pain and injuries.  A physical therapist lists the warning signs of a potentially serious back problem and offers tips for keeping players on the court and back-pain free. 

Parents and coaches can help prevent common volleyball injuries by promoting proper warm-up, stretching and strengthening exercises, as well as paying close attention to the proper techniques, footwear, braces and pads to play volleyball safely.

Concussion rates in thirteen high school sports from 1998 to 2008, as reported in three separate studies, vary widely by sport and, in some cases, by gender.

Ankle sprains are the most common injury in high school volleyball, and the most common acute injury. A new study, however, suggests that volleyball players who wear ankle braces can reduce the risk of first-time ankle sprains, with rigid or semi-rigid braces more effective for girls.

Which high school sports pose the highest risk of severe injury?  Football leads the list, slightly more than wrestling and more than twice the rate in girls' basketball and girls' soccer.  The safest of the nine studied? Girls volleyball.

While skin infections, including MRSA, are reported most often in sports with frequent physical contact, skin contact or activities that may lead to the spread of MRSA skin infections may take place before or after participation in a sport with little physical contact.  Therefore, anyone participating in organized or recreational sports should be aware of the signs of possible skin infections and follow prevention measures.