Playing with pain not good for kids

USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education), April, 1993

Professional athletes are admired for their ability to continue to perform while injured. A football player making tackles with a cast on his hand or a basketball player going full tilt with a brace on his knee are prime examples.

Professional athletes "play hurt" because it's their job. When it comes to children, however, handling injuries is an entirely different matter, maintains Mark Anderson, a physical therapist and sports medicine specialist at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.

In an era of astronomical salaries for professionals in sports, young athletes today are pressured--by their peers, parents, and coaches--to perform flawlessly in the hope that someday they might be able to achieve glory and the rewards that go with it. That pressure often includes an urging to play despite pain from injury.

Anderson warns that children can face a lifetime of pain--both physical and psychological--when they suffer an injury or fail to meet expectations placed on them. Overuse of limbs, such as arms, is a common cause of injuries to young athletes, especially in baseball. "Coaches need to be aware of the dangers of asking a player to try to do too much too early."

Having fun, sharpening skills, and learning about sportsmanship, competition, and teamwork are much more important than filling a trophy shelf, he maintains. "Children shouldn't be pushed to the point that they begin to feel they are a failure just because their team has lost a game. That's a tough load for a child to carry, and that feeling of failure can carry over into their adult lives."

During pick-up games, the dangers are minimized, both to body and mind. "You don't find overuse injuries in sandlot games because, if the kids hurt themselves, they stop playing. And, while it's great to win in those situations, the kids are there mainly to have fun. They take it much less seriously than adults. The big problems often come with organized sports, a situation in which the kids are fighting for recognition and facing pressure to perform well."