A commentary article published in the Journal of Public Health Management and Practice described a roundtable at the Aspen Institute aimed at getting medical professionals more involved in youth sports. This meeting clarified several goals for health care providers, parents, and coaches to promote healthy childhood physical activity and identified additional ways medical professionals can contribute and collaborate in this area.
Several of the goals focus on getting children active and keeping them moving. These included the importance of having fun in childhood physical activity; the need for youth sports to include all children regardless of gender, background and disabilities; the importance of growth and development in choosing sports; and the value of playing many different sports rather than specializing in one. The last two goals focus on an area where health care providers are crucial: injury prevention.
Two major injury categories that are concerns in youth sports are overuse injuries and concussions. Medical providers can help reduce overuse injuries by giving guidance on age appropriateness and diversity of activities, strength and flexibility training, exercise intensity and volume, the importance of proper nutrition, and adequate recovery. For concussions, health care providers can encourage coaches and parents to follow guidelines on concussion risk reduction and caring for athletes with suspected concussions. Health care providers can reach these goals by interacting with young athletes directly, and advising coaches and parents, helping to update regulations.
Additional ideas and future roles were identified in the meeting. Physicians and other medical professionals should take more active roles in influencing youth sports policies and improve lines of communication between schools, sports leagues, coaches, parents, and physicians. Exercise prescriptions — providing recommendations on physical activity — are another area where health care professionals can help keep children active. Sports physicals, which are often required to participate in youth sports, can be used to educate young people and their parents about safety, recognizing and treating injuries, and the importance of nutrition and recovery. Further training in these areas for medical professionals who conduct sports physicals will likely benefit young athletes. Lastly, educating coaches is a way to keep children healthy and active.
On top of these goals and roles is the need for partnerships between health care providers, local health departments, and community outreach groups to provide guidance on sports safety and promote healthy activity in children. These partnerships, along with efforts to educate parents and coaches and interact directly with young athletes, would effectively use the skills and knowledge health care providers have amassed. Through a multifaceted approach, medical professionals can help promote healthy childhood physical activity and help children reap the physical, mental, social, and emotional rewards sports have to offer.
“We have seen leading medical, health, and sport groups find areas of agreement in promoting safe, accessible opportunities for sport and physical activity,” says John Spengler, professor and head of the department of health promotion and community health sciences at Texas A&M University. “Consensus on important issues such as sport specialization, return to play, and concussions is of key importance.
Courtesy of Texas A&M Health Science Center
