One of the worst experiences in youth sports is being stuck on the sidelines for an extended period. Many athletes, despite their best efforts, succumb to all manner of injuries, whether it’s muscular, sprains, or even a concussion. Despite a quicker recovery speed for children and teenagers, injuries sustained through physical exertion require diligent recovery efforts to ensure that athletes can get back to their best, as soon as possible. To help gauge proper recovery methods and rehab exercises, Memphis Parent spoke with Campbell Clinic’s Dr. David D. Spence.
Dr. David D. Spence (Photo Courtesy of Campbell Clinic)
As a specialist in pediatric orthopedics and sports medicine since joining the Campbell Clinic faculty in 2012, and as a father himself, Spence has seen patients carrying most types of sports injuries walk through his doors. The most common youth sports injuries, according to Spence, are sprains. “We’re talking ankle injuries, knee sprains, ligament damage,” he says. “And if you look at the numbers nationally, you’ll see that’s the most common type of youth sports injuries nationwide, too.” Spence also cautions that young athletes, who still have open growth plates, are vulnerable to overuse injuries like Osgood-Schlatter (knee) or Sever’s disease (heel). Overuse injuries are more likely in young athletes that specialize in one sport year round. Spence encourages parents to have their kids pursue different fall and spring sports before high school. “The single biggest risk factor for injury in youth sports is single-sports specialization,” he adds. “Studies have shown that the earlier you specialize into a single sport, the higher risk you are for injury because you’re really overworking the same muscle grooves and joints.”
The best way to avoid an injury during the season? As always, it comes down to following a proper warmup routine. Having a growing body means that things get tight, and proper stretching techniques are critical, depending on which sport an athlete is currently playing. “The basics are a good warmup, good cooldown, before and after exercise,” says Spence. “I really emphasize with kids that you should be doing sport-specific exercises with good technique. For example, pitchers [in baseball] would focus on exercises that improve their throwing mechanics.”
As youth athletes finish going through their proper stretching routines, Spence encourages slowing down to really make sure kids are putting the proper care and effort into exercise. It’s easy to rush straight out onto the field, but a slower, measured approach before and during the season will pay dividends in the long run. “Steady, gradual progress is better than a rapid increase, particularly with speed or strength training,” he says. “You think about distance runners, right? You don’t walk out the door and run a marathon, you have to slowly add mileage and distance. And it’s the same for all sports. You just need to grow incrementally and be consistent with your workouts and give the process time.”
One problem that’s unique to modern athletics is the proliferation of conflicting recovery and workout information on social media platforms. Spence warns that athletes might do more harm than good by blindly following a routine they see on a TikTok or Instagram reel. “I encourage a lot of my athletes to not fall for these gimmicks they see on social media,” says Spence. “You need to find credible people, and coaches, and parents that are experienced in what they’re trying to accomplish. If you’re a ballet dancer, then you want to go to someone that understands dance, and understands technique, and how you get from A to B, because sports training really needs to be specific to that sport. And doing things correctly from the start means that you’re less likely to get hurt.”
As kids continue to grow and their bodies change, injuries will be inevitable. But taking proper care during warmup, training, and cooldowns can be the difference between a kid getting in the starting lineup every week or being stuck in a spell on the sidelines. And as the season progresses, kids need to make sure they’re not overworking themselves. “Their bodies can only tolerate a certain amount of stress in a day or a week,” says Spence. “So oftentimes you have to cut out some activities if you’re going to continue on with others.”
And when young athletes stay out on the field and court, the benefits continue to stack up. There are the obvious physical benefits: muscle development, neuromuscular control, cardiovascular health, and a reduced risk of obesity. Physical boons aside, Spence also highlights the boosts to mental health. “The mental and psychological benefits are perhaps even greater,” he says. “You learn to work as a team, you see elevated self-esteem scores, and kids that are active in sports actually see their math and reading scores go up. Plus, with participation in youth sports, it keeps kids more focused in an age where they are so distracted with all the devices and other similar things.”