With football being the most popular sport among children and teenagers in the United States, parents and coaches face a real challenge: how to prevent severe knee injuries in children that enjoy this dynamic sport?
Football has many health benefits for children. This sport requires a great physical effort, which makes it one of the most effective ways for youngsters to boost the level of their fitness. Furthermore, football can help prevents obesity and health conditions closely related to diabetes, it improves self-discipline and self-esteem in young players, and it advances their motor skills.
Unfortunately, as an activity with highly intense contact and collision between players, football ranks as one of the sports with the highest percentage of serious knee injuries. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, football injuries in children have increased by 22.8 percent in the past 10 years. Statistics show that 10 percent of all football players end up with an injury, and 36 percent of the injured players require longer time to heal completely.
Knee injuries are the most common type of injuries in football. They occur in 7 percent to 36 percent of injured players, and even though they usually require basic first aid and approximately one-week recovery, they can seriously damage the knee, and endanger the child’s proper growth and development.
Preventing knee injuries in football
Typically, knee injuries in football occur when the player is tackling the ball, or the player himself is being tackled, or when two or more players collide attempting to tackle the ball. These injuries are known as contact injuries. On the other hand, the injuries that occur while running, shooting, twisting, turning, or landing, are known as non-contact injuries. Both contact and non-contact injuries can severely damage the knee and cause painful conditions that leave a child seated on the bench.
No parent or coach wants a child that loves sports to be on the sidelines, which is why safety must always come first. For this reason, the first step toward successful knee injury prevention is understanding the types of football knee injuries.
Sprains – knee sprains involve damage to the ACL and/or the MCL. In severe cases, sprains involve complete tears of one or more knee ligaments.
Strains – strains occur as a result of a partial or a complete muscle tear.
Tendonitis – this condition occurs as a result of irritation or inflammation of the tendon.
Meniscus tears – this is one of the most common knee injuries in football, as it occurs during sudden changes in speed or sudden side-to-side movements.
Bursitis – this condition occurs as a result of irritation or swelling of the knee bursa.
Osgood-Schlatter Disease – this painful condition is caused by repetitive stress put on the front end of the tibia. Symptoms include knee swelling and inflammation, and a bump below the knee joint that is too painful to touch.
Patellofemoral Syndrome – an overuse condition commonly seen in young athletes, caused by friction of the cartilage under the kneecap. As a result, the front of the knee is tight, causing a feeling of fullness, pain, and swelling behind the kneecap.
For most knee injuries, the well-known method RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation) is the key treatment. However, more severe injuries, such as meniscus tears, require a minimally invasive surgery to address the damage and improve the health of the knee.
Although most orthopedic surgeons avoid recommending complex surgery until the child’s body is completely grown and developed, in some cases, an open and complex surgery is inevitable, and that is a strong reason for parents and coaches to work together on preventing knee injuries in football.
Tips to follow for successful knee injury prevention
Always make sure that the children wear appropriate protective equipment while playing. Knee pads can immensely help in knee protection. They keep the knee strong and firm, which decreases the chances of twisting and related movements.
Warming up and cooling down are essential for a safe game. Prior to any practice or game, players should stretch and do exercises to warm up the knee joints, and prepare them for the stress that comes from the twists, the hits and the odd positions. After each game, the muscles around the knee as well as the knee joints, need to cool down and slowly relax from the intensity and pressure they were under during the game.
Keep the young players in shape. Excellent physical condition is of extreme importance for players’ safety. When players are young, they need to progress the game as their level of fitness and physical condition progresses. Conditioning programs that include exercises for flexibility, muscle strength and power, as well as exercises for stretching, have to be a required part of players’ physical trainings, as they are the perfect way to build a strong shape.
Hydration. Water prevents heat exhaustion, and it is essential for muscle flexibility. Hydration prevents muscle cramps, which can immensely affect the player’s performance.
Teach the players to jump in a safe manner. When players jump, it’s extremely important that they bend their knees while landing, since it takes the pressure off the knee and prevents severe knee injuries.
Develop trust, so the kids feel free to share when their knees feel odd. Oftentimes, kids don’t tell their parents or coaches when their knee is stiff or irritated, because they don’t want to be left out of an exciting game. It’s crucial that parents and coaches build an honest, trustworthy relationship with children athletes, so that they feel comfortable to share when they feel something is not right. This will improve the child’s overall health condition, and help successfully prevent complex and severe injuries.