Informative Speech: How to Prevent Sports Injuries

What can be done to prevent sports injuries? There are a number of things! The first, and perhaps most important, of steps that can be taken here, is the simplest: remember the basics. According to one source, one of the most effective steps that can be taken here is to routinely take breaks, which helps to prevent stress-related injuries, as well as many of those that are related to overheating (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2017). This step is one that many seem to discard, making it one of the single most crucial of steps simply by virtue of the number of sports injuries that are caused, either directly or indirectly, as a result of this overheating or overexertion.

On that note, another step in the same vein that can be taken here is to routinely take at least one day off per week, and one month off per year in order to allow for the body to recover (AAP, 2017). This is another of these steps that can be taken fairly easily but is frequently forgotten, usually because the training that one is partaking in is thought of as being more important than long-term health. However, the human body requires a recovery period of some sort and taking sometimes large chunks of time off to recover goes a long way toward preventing future injuries.

Next, another of the more obvious ways that sports injuries can be prevented involves wearing the right gear. As this same source points out, protective equipment should always be worn, appropriate for the specific sport that he or she is participating in, involving key body parts such as the neck, shoulder, knee, shin, and chest (AAP, 2017). This means that helmets, mouthpieces, face guards, protective cups and eyewear should be worn in order to prevent direct injury here (AAP, 2017). Still, even with protective gear, such as helmets, for example, players still cannot rule out the chance of concussions or post-concussive syndrome and traumatic brain injury.

Of course, this protective gear is merely a supplement. This means that it should not be relied upon to prevent all injuries within a given sport. It does not make the players invincible, even though they might feel this way at times. Therefore, common sense, depending on the specific sport, should always be implemented in order to ensure that this protective gear is able to perform its job. Common sense, then, is another of these layers of defense that should be leveraged here to prevent sports injuries.

Another of these steps involves preparing the body itself for the physical activity that will occur. As this article states, this comes in two key forms. The first is strengthening the muscles themselves, specifically, through conditioning exercise during practice, which helps to strengthen and prepare specific muscle development. These muscles will be used throughout the course of the specific sport, reducing the chances that there will be an injury, especially within this specific muscle, in the process (AAP, 2017).

The other of these forms that the preparation of the body comes in is that of increasing flexibility of the body. This can be done through stretching properly before games or practice, or, really, any specific exercise, as well as implementing it into a specific fitness plan (AAP, 2017). This will provide both a long-term and a short-term foundation of flexibility and stretching, which will naturally help to ensure that there is not some sort of injury that takes place, especially on a muscular level.

Taking breaks is another of these steps, although it is one that is perhaps much too obvious. However, one element that is oftentimes discarded is that of playing safe. This source states that rules that encourage safe play by banning specific harmful techniques, such as headfirst sliding in baseball or spearing in football, should be emphasized and enforced as much as possible (AAP, 2017). This will help to facilitate a safer playing environment and reduce the rate of injuries.

This source also states that if someone is in pain, he or she should not play, regardless of circumstances (AAP, 2017). This might seem obvious, but there are many cases in which a player might be injured, perhaps seriously, yet want to continue to play through the pain, potentially causing a great deal more damage to their bodies in the process. This is especially true for things like broken or fractured bones, which can quickly become exacerbated if they continue to be strained.

Hydration is another key way to prevent sports injuries. Namely, it helps to prevent heat exhaustion and heat illness as a whole, according to this source (AAP, 2017). Speaking of which, stopping any activity if one feels like one is overheating is crucial. Furthermore, these sports should not be played during extremely hot or humid periods, and, even when the temperatures are acceptable, light clothing should be worn to ensure that the athletes do not become overheated.

Simply being vigilant is another of these steps that can be taken. Being on the lookout for injuries, or situations that could lead to sports injuries will go a long way to preventing these injuries in many ways and will help to facilitate safer play as a whole. Learning the ins and outs of a specific sport's safety protocol will enable the layman to be able to consistently make progress toward safer play, thereby allowing athletes to be able to continue playing for longer and harder, as well as more safely.

These specific tips and steps can be taken in order to drastically reduce the chances of sports injuries, in all the different forms those can take. In many regards, a small amount of common sense can go a long way. Taking these preventative steps is a crucial component of being safe, and this will help to establish a long-term culture that will facilitate safety within sports injuries.

Reference

American Academy of Pediatrics. (2017). Sports injury prevention tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics. Retrieved from https://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/news-features-and-safety-tips/Pages/Sports-Injury-Prevention-Tip-Sheet.aspx