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Stress Management For Young Athletes

Stress Management For Young Athletes

by | Apr 24, 2019 | Sports Medicine

Exercise, team play and goal-setting are all benefits of participating in youth sports. However, young athletes face a variety of stressors that other students do not face.

Some of these are:

  • Anxiety about athletic performance can become a distraction in daily life
  • Fatigue from early, late and long training hours can affect school performance
  • External pressure to perform well makes it difficult to focus

Pediatric psychologist Emily B. Gale, Ph.D., ABPP says, “In general, adolescents perform well if they have coping and stress management skills in place before an injury or undesired performance occurs. Parents, coaches and teachers should support the use of healthy coping and stress management skills in low stress situations so when a high stress situation occurs, the teen is prepared.”

Here are some tips to help an athlete stay on top of his or her mental game:

  • Adopt some pre-game centering techniques to clear your mind of distracting or negative thoughts (i.e. deep breathing, performance visualization).
  • Use positive self-talk and realistic evaluation when things don’t go the way you hoped (i.e. highlighting what went well and what could be improved).
  • Reflect on losses or negative performance with a focus on opportunities for improvement
  • Encourage teammates with positive talk

A woman wearing glasses and a blue shirt smiles for the camera

Learn more about pediatric sports medicine and injury prevention. 
Young Athletes and Soccer Safety: What You Need To Know

Young Athletes and Soccer Safety: What You Need To Know

by | Mar 8, 2019 | General News, Sports Medicine

Recently, sports medicine physician Shane M. Miller, M.D., joined a Facebook LIVE discussion with pediatrician Early B. Denison, M.D., from Pediatric Associates of Dallas. As an expert in caring for young athletes, Miller was interviewed to discuss soccer safety and injury prevention. Below is a recap of the discussion. Watch the live segment. What types of injuries occur in soccer?
  • Soccer is a contact sport, but has a large endurance component. Most acute injuries involve player to player contact that can result in ankle sprains, strains and/or contusions.
  • Other Injuries include mouth, face/nose, eye, oral/dental
  • Are there differences in injuries in youth players compared to high school players?
  • Increase injury rates go along with increased age.
  • The athletes are faster, stronger and more aggressive.
What about practice vs. games?
  • Many more injuries occur during games than practice.
  • Games bring a higher level of competition with a less controlled environment.
  • One study showed that about 2/3 of injuries occurred during the second half of the game.
Boys vs. girls?
  • Girls have a higher injury rate than boys.
  • Specifically, there are two significant injuries that we see more in girls that concern us: ACL injuries and concussions.
What to know about ACL injuries:
  • Very common in female athletes (non-contact), more than football, and about three times as many as boy soccer players.
  • The injury takes place typically when planting the foot to cut – the ligament stretches and tears.
  • It’s possible to hear/feel a pop and have swelling in knee.
  • It is a very serious injury with short and long-term implications for an athlete.
  • Usually eight to 12 months before returning to previous level of sport.
  • Possibility of a long-term arthritis risk and associated injuries such as meniscus tear, etc.
What about overuse injuries?
  • In younger soccer players (9-12), we see a lot of heel pain.
  • Growth plate overuse injuries are very common.
  • Adolescents complain mostly about knee pain (patellofemoral pain or Osgood-Schlatter’s). If there is swelling, limping, activity limitations, or symptoms more than a few days, the athlete should be evaluated by a pediatrician or sports medicine specialist.
How can we keep our young athletes safe? What recommendations do you have to reduce the risk of soccer injuries?
  • Follow/enforce the rules! Many injuries are preventable. Aggressive play increases risk of injury.
  • Proper equipment including shin guards.
  • Warm-up program – FIFA 11+ and 11+ kids both have been shown to reduce the risk of injuries by half, especially ACL tears.
  • Including a dynamic warm-up program should focus on balance, coordination, strength training and falling techniques.
What about concussions? What are your thoughts on headers?
  • Most injuries that occur around headers involve player-to-player contact – so heading is a high-risk play.
  • Additionally, younger players don’t have the coordination or neck strength to properly head the ball and absorb the forces.
  • US Youth Soccer has banned heading in players age 10 and younger.
Will soccer headgear prevent a concussion?
  • Headgear will not prevent a concussion and may increase the risk of injury by increasing athlete’s confidence/sense of invincibility. Following the rules, minimizing heading, increasing neck strengthening and not playing when fatigued/dehydrated are all very important in preventing a concussion.
What about reducing the risk of overuse injuries and burnout?
  • A pre-participation physical exam should be performed at least six weeks before the season with a primary care provider. This will allow injuries/issues to be noticed and addressed before the season begins.
  • Sport specialization – play multiple sports early on and specialize in late adolescence (i.e. high school).
  • Avoid year-round play – take a month off three times/year.
  • Hours/week shouldn’t exceed age in years.
  • Sports should be fun! Emphasize fun and all the benefits of sports, not winning and scholarships.
Learn more about the common injuries treated in our Center for Excellence in Sports Medicine.
Health Care Providers Gather in Frisco to Learn from Hospital Experts

Health Care Providers Gather in Frisco to Learn from Hospital Experts

by | Mar 5, 2019 | Sports Medicine

Over the weekend, Scottish Rite Hospital hosted the Pediatric Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Symposium (POSMS) at the Frisco campus. In its first year, POSMS is a combination of two medical conferences – Pediatric Orthopedics Education Series and the Sports Medicine for the Young Athlete. The one-day meeting welcomed over 110 health care specialists from around the community including pediatricians, advance practice providers, athletic trainers, physical therapists and other medical professionals. Attendees learned the latest in evaluation and treatment of pediatric orthopedic and sports medicine conditions through lectures and hands-on breakout sessions.

Several of the hospital’s staff presented throughout the day. Topics included:

  • Developmental dysplasia of the hip
  • Acute knee injuries in young athletes
  • Hip conditions in young athletes
  • Myths of sports-related concussions
  • Rheumatology
  • Scoliosis screening
  • Hot topics in sports medicine treatments
  • Return to play and testing in the movement science lab
  • Ethical implications in fracture management
  • Safety of popular diet and supplement trends

Here is some of the positive feedback we have received so far:
Every talk was helpful and high-yield. This was all great!
Thank you for such a great conference. Loved the variety of topics and knowledgeable speakers.
The fracture splinting small group was fantastic.
Location is great. Building is beautiful.
All of the speakers were great and engaging.
It was super helpful to have kids demonstrate the exams!
Enjoyed every lecture; very informative and all relevant to my practice.

Course director and sports medicine physician, Shane M. Miller, M.D., said, “We really enjoy the opportunity to connect with the community providers at these events. We genuinely want to support everyone who provides care to children and adolescents. Together, we are better.” 

Learn more about the Center for Excellence in Sports Medicine.