Sport for children: How to play safe

Engaging in sport promotes discipline, determination and teamwork, but the downside is possibly injury. Ahram Online asks experts what parents need to know to help their children avoid injuries and stay healthy.

"My son loved playing handball and his teammates became his best friends," says Mohamed El-Samman, father of a 12-year-old.

"I thought the only catch was injuries resulting from the nature of the sport until I realised that my son and a number of his colleagues were having problems with their knees and ankles because of defective courts. And I'm talking here about a major upper-class sporting club in Zamalek whose members are charged annually for maintaining the fields and arenas."

Amina Mortagi, mother of a ten-year-old and an eight-year-old, complains from a different angle:

"Asthma runs in our family, so when each of my children turned four I started giving them swimming classes thinking it would do them good, and it did, but as they grew I started increasing the frequency of their training sessions. However, as time passed my elder son began having shoulder pain, which actually took me off guard as I always thought swimming was safe regarding injuries."

A doctor's view

"Engaging in sport is recommended and beneficial for many illnesses, such as asthma, high blood pressure and obesity, but with any kind of sport comes the possibility of injury," says Dr Mustafa El-Moneiery, a sports medicine consultant.

"In general we divide sport injuries into two categories: those from contact sports, which result from friction and impact, and those from non-contact sports, which occur from overtraining."

El-Moneiery emphasises that every sport has its categories of strains and problems. For instance, tennis players suffer with their thigh muscles and in squash the problems are mainly related to the backbone. Even swimming, although there is a general conception that it’s a safe sport, not a day passes by without him meeting an injured swimmer, usually with a shoulder strain.

"All kinds of swimming techniques have their problems if overtraining and fatigue occurs. For example, the breast stroke might affect the knee; the butterfly stroke affects the back etc...But the most common problem is in the shoulder, and around 80 per cent of professional swimmers in the USA quit in order to prevent further injury to the shoulder."

Prevention is better than cure

Dr El-Moneiery stresses that it is always better to tackle the problem before it occurs:

"All over the world, athletes are monitored regularly by physicians to make sure they maintain the adequate balance of fitness, nutrition, and good health. Through this surveillance, any problem that might be emerging can be treated earlier. Like a pregnant woman should have regular checkups, parents are advised to do the same with their children if they play a lot of sport.

"Unfortunately this is rarely highlighted in our society, where we only take our children to the doctor when an injury takes place or if they feel pain or strain. We should prevent problems before they occur by keeping a close eye on their health and spot any problem at a very early stage."

In general, he advises parents to tackle the strains that occur on the playing field by the RICE technique of rest, ice, compression and elevation. The doctor should be consulted if the condition deteriorates after 24 hours.

General Advice

Dr Lamees El-Araby, who specialises in counselling parents regarding sport and preventing injuries at some of the major educational facilities in Cairo, gives the following advice:

Playing fields should be well-maintained as many injuries occur from defective playgrounds and hidden holes.

Wear the relevant protective equipment for each sport.

Warm up before exercise.

Do not expose children to prolonged periods of strong sunlight.

Stay hydrated.

Remember the correct philosophy of sport.

Play to win but remember it is the taking part that counts.

At a young age the focus should be on technique and style not building muscles.

Parents and teachers should be aware of the RICE technique