John O'Connor is a full time husband and father,
part time outdoorsman and a new blogger. He has an extreme passion for healthy
aging and living a healthy lifestyle.
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Only a few years ago,
very few people paid attention to the
long-term effects of playing football. A
series of high-profile reports, however, has changed this, and many people are
now beginning to see how dangerous football can be if safety procedures are not
enforced. Fortunately, football has become considerably safer in recent years,
and parents should rest assured that efforts are underway to make the sport
even safer. Over the past couple of
years, the NFL has been implementing and changing many rules to help make the
game not only safe for professionals but also for teenagers who play in high
school/college and young children who are playing recreationally in pop warner
leagues. As parents it is our job
to make sure that our children are safe at all times. Here are some injuries that are not just
common in football but in many other contact sports as well.
Concussions
Concussions have
received more attention in the past few years than any other type of sports
injury, and new studies have shown that multiple concussions can lead to
lifelong problems. In the past,
concussions were not taken as seriously as they are today. Many athletes who suffered from concussions
sometimes did not even come out of the game they were playing in. Other times they would be diagnosed with a
concussion and end up returning to play too early before they were properly
healed.
Common symptoms of a concussion
may be a headache, nausea, confusion or dizziness. More serious concussions may result in
permanent memory loss or even hearing loss.
If hearing loss occurs and is serious enough, hearing aids may be used to help increase
hearing levels. Fortunately, there are now
some ways to mitigate the damage done by concussions and help to try and
eliminate situations that result in severe hearing loss. The following
guidelines should be implemented not only my parents but by coaches and
athletic trainers as well:
-If a concussion has
been suffered, the player should seek immediate assistance and be checked out by
a primary care doctor.
- A injured player
should not return until symptoms have completely resolved for at least five
days.
- Protective headgear
must be worn at all times in all sports.
-Not only should head
gear be worn, but it should be worn properly.
- Proper hitting
technique in football and other sports can help protect against concussions and
other head related injuries
Knee Damage
Knee damage is also
very common in all sports, and many athletes will suffer at least minor knee
sprains along the way. While it can be difficult to prevent all knee injuries,
responding properly to knee injuries can lead to better outcomes down the road.
A popular injury to the knee is the ACL tear.
The ligaments around the knee, especially the ACL help in supporting the
knee when running, jumping, rotating and landing. When torn it makes participation in sports
very difficult.
Again, strict
guidelines should be implemented, and parents should be educated on how they
can help their children prevent ligament tears and the signs they should be
looking for if their child may be suffering from a torn ACL:
-To help prevent ACL
tears, specific balance and strength exercises can be done to strengthen the
muscles of the leg and around the knee.
-Children should only
participate in strength and conditioning programs if they are old enough and
have been cleared by their doctor.
-Athletes should
perform necessary warm-ups to keep muscles loose throughout practice and
games.
- A doctor should be
contacted if there is any question about a knee injury. Many severe knee
injuries begin as minor injuries and worsen over time because they are not
checked out.
Heat-Related Injuries
Two very common
injuries that can occur from playing sports especially in the summer months of
the year are dehydration and heat strokes.
There are many things that we as parents can do to help prevent
dehydration and heat stroke from happening to our children:
- -Always wear sunscreen.
- -Hydration is a must.
- -Not only should our children be
drinking plenty of water during games and practices, but they should also be
gradually drinking water during the day leading up to the game or
practice.
- -Children should wear lightweight
clothing that allows the body to breathe and sweat properly. Along with lighter shaded clothing that does
not attract the sun.
- -Practice and games should be played
during the hours of the day that aren’t the hottest. Morning practices and late evening games
would be the best bet.
Sports are great way
to teach kids valuable skills and proper exercise, but there are some risks
involved in all sports. By following safety guidelines and ensuring that kids
and parents are doing all that is possible to try and prevent against injuries,
sports can be enjoyable for all who are involved.
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Alexis
I base the time of reading around The Nag. However long it takes him to read a chapter, that's how long Little Ricky needs to read. (Not to mention that Little Ricky is like his mommy, once he starts reading, he doesn't want to put it down.) 
My husband also likes to ask them "hard" math facts (addition, subtraction, and multiplication) while we are in the car or eating a meal, so they can work on their recall. Sometimes, if we are at a restaurant, we make up math problems for them on their "kiddie menus" for them to solve. 
Another easy one. We have marble notebooks that we use as journals. We got them at the Dollar Tree. I have them write a paragraph or two about what we did that day. They also like to write stories from time to time. Little Ricky just wrote a book as a gift for Father's Day. (Totally his idea) I also plan to work on their handwriting....it's awful!!
