A Therapist’s Guide for Youth Athletes Returning to Sports this Fall 🍁
Attention all parents and youth athletes!
As we look toward the Fall sports season for our middle and high school athletes, we at Health in Balance want to give them a leg up to best prepare them for tryouts, training and early competitions while staying injury-free. Here are some helpful tips to review!
General health and sleep: Athletes should have annual or biannual physicals to discuss any concerns and alert to any medical issues that need attention prior to participation. Encourage your athlete to resume a regular sleeping schedule to improve recovery and performance.
Conditioning: General athletic conditioning and stretching over the next few weeks to prepare for return to sport is advised. Encourage your athlete to get together with a teammate or friend to train together. We advise athletes to track their nutrition, sleep and workouts, making adjustments as needed to optimize athletic performance.
Hydration and nutrition: Eating a small healthy meal several hours prior to practice will provide needed energy and reduce fatigue. Pre-workout hydration is also key. Athletes should be increasing their intake of fluids not just prior to practice but in the days leading up to training.
Mental preparation: Tryouts can be grueling and anxiety provoking. Time management for sport participation and the rigors of academics can be overwhelming. Parents can keep the lines of communication open by encouraging their athlete to discuss their concerns and provide support to assist their athlete in balancing the demands of being a student-athlete.
Gear: inspect all gear for its current condition; replace any worn or ill-fitting shoewear, as well as protective wear such as shin guards or other pads and take some time to break in new equipment prior to utilizing it for practices and competition. When possible, tailor the equipment to the sport. For example:
1. Tennis: Use court shoes made for tennis; soles are specifically made to grip the hard courts and reduce chance of ankle injury. Review sizing and string tension of tennis rackets to reduce wrist and arm strain.
2. Football: Opt for moldable mouthguards and fitted helmets and pads for best protection
3. Volleyball: High ankle shoewear for players to prevent ankle sprain and knee and arm guards for diving
4. Soccer: specific cleated shoes made for the field; make sure shin guards are sized properly.
5. Cross country: we recommend you be fitted for running shoes that best work with your particular foot type to reduce overuse injuries
7. Swimming: test out swim caps and goggles to find what best works best for you in the pool.
As always, our Physical Therapists and Personal Trainer at Health in Balance are available for your athletes for any injuries or concerns. We wish them all much success this Fall!