Kids in sport

Exercise is a vital part of life for all people, including children. Exercise is essential for growth, health, and general wellbeing in kids. Participation in sport is an excellent way of providing exercise and it is becoming more important for our children every day.

A common reason for not participating in sport is the fear of a child sustaining an injury. While there is a risk of injury in most sports, this risk is far outweighed by the benefits of activity. Even in non-contact sports (such as tennis) there is potential for injury, but not playing any sport can have far worse consequences for a child.

The most important thing to know about children is that they are NOT just little adults when it comes to injuries. There are areas of bony weakness in a growing body and ligament elasticity that mean injuries occur very differently in children and should not be treated in the same way as adult injuries.

If an injury does occur or a child develops pain during exercise then it is important the injury is managed correctly to ensure the child can return to their sport quickly and there are no long-term effects.

Physiotherapy can help with the appropriate management of children’s sporting injuries and pain. A physiotherapist is trained to correctly assess, diagnose, and treat an injury, and can also give advice about injury prevention. Physiotherapists understand the effect of exercise and injury on a growing body. They can guide kids into the most suitable exercise or sport for them and teach techniques to minimise the potential for injury.