LASD Palmdale Station Child Safety Month: Sports Safety

Palmdale, California - October 14, 2013

Kids and sports seem to go together, right? Makes sense considering nearly 30 million children and adolescents in the United States participate in some sort of youth sports. But in order for our children to have a positive experience we must keep them free of injuries and educate them of the safety of playing sports. Below is a list of safety tips to help keep your child injury free when playing sports.

• First and foremost make sure your child receives a pre-participation physical exam (PPE) by a doctor before playing organized sports. The exam can help exclude any potential medical conditions that may place your child at risk. 
• Make sure all your emergency contact information, given to the coach or organization, is up to date and correct at all times during the sport season. 
• Prior to your child’s first practice, talk to the coach about any history of Asthma or any medical condition that may require special attention. 
• Teach your child how important it is to stretch before and after practice and games. Stretching can help prevent sport related injuries such as muscle tears or sprains. 
• Remember to Hydrate!!! Your child should be hydrating throughout the day by drinking water before, during and after play. Have your child bring a water bottle to practice and games. 
• During practice and games make sure your child is wearing appropriate and properly-fitted sports gear to help avoid injury. 
• As a parent of a child involved in sports it is important to learn the signs and symptoms of a concussion. If your child has been hit in the head and a concussion is suspected, immediately have your child evaluated by a medical professional. To learn more about the signs and symptoms of a concussion visit www.safekids.org. 
• Getting a sufficient amount of rest is beneficial for your child to do their best and remain injury free. Children should have at least one or two days off from sports each week. Off seasons are important as well. Ten consecutive weeks of rest from any one sport every year is recommended. However, playing different sports throughout the year is ok.

Working together as a community we can educate ourselves on the safety of sports to keep our children healthy and injury free throughout their sporting careers. If you have any questions or concerns, please call the Palmdale Sheriff Station at 661-272-2400 or email Deputy Jodi Wolfe at jewolfe@lasd.org.

- Deputy Jodi Wolfe