Sports are a way for adults and children to have fun, but it is important to prevent sporting accidents to keep the fun going. The beginning of spring means children will have the opportunity to be more active; from tennis courts to soccer fields, the children’s sports season is underway. Christi Fisher of Safe Kids Utah emphasizes that children play and essential role in keeping athletes injury-free. “Coaches and parents should learn more than just the rules and skills required to win.” Safety experts across the state of Utah are asking parents to help keep their children safe.

Out of the more than 30 million children who participate in organized sports or outdoor activities every year, 3 million get injured. In 2008 there were 429 recorded cases of sports-related concussions in Utah alone.

Tips to Prevent Sporting Accidents
Four basic tips about how to deal or prevent sporting accidents in the field have been given by KSL.com from safety advocates.

1. Before a child participates in an organized outdoor activity, schedule a pre-participation evaluation with a doctor. This will help avoid emergency situations by alerting parents and doctors to any health challenges a child may have.
2. Overuse injuries such as tennis elbow and stress fractures can be avoided by participating in a proper warm-up before play.
3. In order to prevent dehydration, playing children should take mandatory fluid breaks every 15-20 minutes.
4. Immediately take a child from play if you are suspicious that he or she has a concussion. Do not let them return to the game until a health care professional says it is all right.

While there is no definitive research on the most injury-prone sports for kids, sports-related injuries can happen in any activity because injuries are caused by overuse. This overuse causes wear and tear on parts of the body, most commonly joints. This means that team sports may have more recorded injuries simply because more children participate in them, not because it is a rougher sport. Parents and young athletes alike can prevent sporting accidents with these tips.