Preparing for Summer Sports Camps and Leagues
With spring sports winding down, it’s time to start thinking about summer sports. There seem to be endless options, including camps, town and travel leagues, and college showcases, and it can be challenging to figure out the best option for your youth athlete. As a physical therapist here at Complete Game who specializes in working with youth athletes (many who get injured during summer sports) I have a few suggestions.
Play multiple sports. The benefits of playing multiple sports include reduced risk of injury, reduced burnout, and improved overall athleticism. These benefits are so significant they prompted the International Olympic Committee to release a statement in 2015 encouraging athletes to play multiple sports. The summer offers an excellent opportunity to play different sports or even try a new sport. Multisport camps are a great way to sample several different sports at once.
Don’t over schedule. The flip side of the athlete who specializes in a single sport is the one that tries to do everything. In these cases, we see the athlete, or the parent, booking full days of practices, camps, and games. One of the greatest risk factors for injury is playing while fatigued. In baseball, research has shown that the risk of injury is 36 times greater when a pitcher is fatigued. One thing to keep in mind is that it’s OK to say no. Sometimes, coaches, camp, or travel program directors suggest that your athlete MUST go to this camp or play on that team to be seen and have the opportunity to play at the next level. In reality, if your child is good enough, the coaches will find them, and if they’re injured or even just worn out, they will not “be seen.”
Leave time to be a kid. Be sure to spend some time away from sports this summer. Giving kids time to ride bikes, play with friends, and run around at the beach not only provides them a rest from sports, it will also make them better athletes! If you look at some of the youth conditioning and agility programs out there, they are basically just setting up playgrounds for the kids. Take them to the park, it’s much cheaper! Also, traveling to sports tournaments is not a vacation. Book your family vacations and lock them in. That is time you never get back.
If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to me at gcrossman@completegamept.com or give us a call at 978-710-7204.