Should Kids Play with Pain?

After a tough practice it is normal for muscles to be sore or tight.  Pain is a regular part of participating in sports, however, with a growing number of youth athletes suffering from over use injuries, it is important to ask, if it healthy for kids to be in pain when they are taking part in sporting events. The following article discusses why your should never ignore your player’s pain and what it might be telling you.

Although kids are naturally flexible and limber, their muscles and bones are still developing and require proper care. Pain prior to a game is not normal for young players. It can represent anything from a minor sprain to a fractured bone. Pain is the body’s way of saying “Stop!” It is not unusual for a child to be sore after a game, but it is unusual for the pain from a prior game to still be a factor in the next.

In professional sports, it is common to hear stories of athletes playing with pain. However, young players lack the associated team doctors and trainers who help professional athletes make informed decisions. Youth players also lack the understanding of the consequences of playing with an injury. Kids only get one body and no childhood sports event is worth risking a lifetime of problems.