Athletics are a wonderful complement to education at all levels. The health and educational benefits for the student-athlete are well documented and have effects that can last a lifetime. Nevertheless, there are times when athletics, due to stress or injury, can be detrimental to the student.
Through the years, I have witnessed both ends of the spectrum and want to see our local athletes succeed. Here are some tips and reminders for parents to help their student-athlete flourish no matter the sport.
1.Keep things fun and participate for the right reasons.
Sports can be a great diversion from the pressures of student life, and they provide both physical and mental stress-relieving benefits. Unfortunately, if the fun is lost, sports can also have detrimental effects.
If a student-athlete is not having fun, parents should re-examine their child’s sport experience to ensure that they are participating for the right reasons. When a sporting activity becomes an adverse pressure on the student-athlete, the many benefits of sports are negated.
2.Avoid ‘helicopter parenting.’
One source of negative pressure on student-athletes comes from parents. The phenomenon is known as ‘helicopter parenting.’
No parent wakes up in the morning thinking that they are going to harm their child, but many inadvertently do with the pressures placed on their children to succeed. Student-athletes may be pressured to play through injury, train for excessive periods or continue an activity they are no longer interested in.
The reasons for this pressure are often multifactorial, but may stem from living vicariously through the student-athlete, a hope for a future college scholarship or just wanting “the best” for their child.
3.Make sure your student-athlete gets the proper rest and recovery time
Many young athletes are getting specialized early on into a single sport with repetitive focused training. Some are even playing on multiple teams during the same season to maximize their exposure and experience. These situations are very risky and often harmful – especially to young athletes.
A developing athlete’s body needs time to rest and recover from the stresses of a particular sport. Playing a single sport year round at a young age and not allowing adequate time for recovery between workouts can result in career-ending injuries.
Cross-training, the practice of training in diverse sports and athletic activities, helps a student-athlete develop into a well-rounded athlete, as well as provides a protective function from overuse injuries.
Longitudinal studies show that a student-athlete is more likely to make it to the elite level as a professional or scholarship college athlete if they play multiple sports at a young age.
In summary, to help your student athlete flourish and maximize their health and success, get involved for the right reasons, increase the diversity of activities, get adequate rest for recovery and development and, most of all, have fun!
Jon Maher, MD is a board certified orthopaedic surgeon and sports medicine subspecialist. His prior experience includes a 14-year career in the Navy taking care of the Marines and Navy SEAL Teams. He previously served as a team physician for the Boston Celtics and the Harvard University Athletic Department. He currently is part of Carilion Clinic Orthopaedics in Blacksburg and the New River Valley and is a team physician for several local high school and college teams.
