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Totowa PAL

HEALTH & SAFETY OVERVIEW

Sports Safety

Participation in sports offers tremendous social, emotional and physical benefits for children and is an important part of a healthy, physically active lifestyle for kids. But injuries can, and do, occur.

There are steps that parents can take to help make sure kids stay safe on the field, the court, or wherever they play, so our kids can continue playing the games they love.

Top Tips

1.  Before playing organized sports, make sure your child receives a pre-participation physical exam performed by a doctor, or a nurse practitioner or qualified clinician under the supervision of a physician.

2.  Bring a water bottle to practice and games. Encourage children to stay well hydrated by drinking plenty of water before, during and after play. 

3.  Stretching before practice and games can release muscle tension and help prevent sports-related injuries, such as muscle tears or sprains. Make sure there is time set aside before every practice and game for athletes to warm up properly.

4.  Take time off from one sport to prevent overuse injuries. It is an opportunity to get stronger and develop skills learned in another sport.

It's also a good idea for coaches to get certified in first aid and CPR, learn the signs and symptoms of a concussion and help avoid overuse injury by resting players during practices and games.