Risk in Youth Sports

I was watching my 12 year old gymnast size son get pummeled repeatedly this morning at his basketball game. It made me wonder how many kids get injured in this sport. Turns out quite a few, as it made the number one spot on Loyola's:  "Top Ten Sports for Injuries in Kids." Now, my son prefers it this way, rough and tumble, slammed and sliding across the gym floor; bring it on. I realized it's not the sport, but the contact that causes injuries, and Chase-- although tossed a few times like a rag-doll-- knows how to fall to minimize injury.

Gymnastics was not even in the top ten. This did not surprise me. As a long time coach in the sport of gymnastics I can only count a handful of "bad enough" injuries to send kids to the hospital. Why does gymnastics get such a bad rap when in fact at the recreational level it is pretty tame? The answer lies with the few injuries from accelerated height, rotation and speed, that were severe enough to make the headlines. Our gym has never sustained an injury like this, in fact most gyms will never see an injury of this nature. Still, parents should inquire about the credentials of the instructors teaching any classes with flipping.

There are two classes that require extra close attention. Parkour and Trampoline.

Parkour, or free running involves using the physical environment as your springboard. Partakers vault, flip, and climb/jump over, under and off of anything and everything (cars, stairs, buildings etc.). Gyms are now offering classes in this "sport." For this class, and for trampoline, a USA Gymnastics Safety Certified instructor is a must. Both these classes are appealing to non-gymnasts who have little air awareness and even less upper body strength. A certified coach will know how to safely progress students in a systematic manner. The coach should also have excellent spotting skills. Potential red flags to watch out for:

• Students that are all doing the same thing instead of a progression, (or staged level) of the same skill. 

• Students that look out of control in the air
  
• Landings in positions that look or are contorted (landing sideways, falling off the mats). Most landings should strive for feet first.
  
• Teen or Junior coaches teaching these more advanced classes

Think twice about that home trampoline for Christmas. Trampolines are not toys. Most are used improperly in the home setting. Some homeowner policies require extra coverage for trampolines. A few parents have shared with me that they were canceled after submitting a claim due to a trampoline injury. One parent was successfully sued by a neighbor, when the neighbors child broke her arm on their trampoline ($30,000.00). Best to leave the safe jumping to the experts.

The great benefit kids receive from participating in a sport outweigh the small amount of risk. Parents can minimize their child's risk by becoming informed and educated about the activity their child chooses.

All of Top Flyte's senior staff are USA Gymnastics Safety Certified.