Youth Sports: A Pediatrician’s Perspective on Coaching and Injury Prevention

Objective: My objective is to review the factors that influ-ence youth participation in sports, to discuss the role coaches may play in youth sports injuries, and to call on athletic trainers and other health professionals to become involved in youth sports in an effort to limit injury risk. Background: Millions of American youths participate in team sports. Their primary motivation to participate is to have fun. Unfortunately, large numbers of participants have sustained correspondingly large numbers of injuries. Many injuries can be attributed to improper technique and conditioning methods taught by volunteer coaches. Although not the only contributors to injuries, these may be the most amenable to preventive measures, such as formal instruction for coaches in the areas of proper biomechanics and player-coach communication. Description: I provide an overview of the reasons wh