Sports Safety

New Metal Baseball Bat Commercial Raises Safety Concerns

At this time every year we at MomsTeam get a flood of emails asking the same question: "Why don't they ban metal bats?"

This has been a contentious issue and one which I have been following for years. I have always been on the fence, although leaning in the direction of some common-sense regulation of metal bats to limit the speed at which balls come off the bat.

Ironically, it is a new metal baseball bat commercial that raises safety concerns and has me re-thinking my stance.

Concussions: Follow The Leader?

Sports concussions continue to be big news.

As visitors to this site and readers of my countless blogs, articles, and editorials on the subject of concussions already know, however, concussions have been important to me and MomsTeam for a lot longer.

Sports concussions continue to be big news. But, as visitors to this site and readers of my countless blogs, articles,
and editorials on the subject of concussions already know, concussions have been important to me and MomsTeam for a lot longer.

Coach Puts Safety First, Forfeits X-Country Meet

The other day I got an e-mail from a sports mom in Nevada with a link to an article about her daughter’s cross-country coach.  Seems he forfeited the team’s first meet of the season against the defending state champion out of concern for the runners’ long-term health had they run over a hilly 2.75-mile course consisting mostly of pavement in 90 degree heat.

Remembering Wyatt Cragan

Many of my readers have asked me where I have been this summer. "What have you been doing? We miss your blogging and articles." In fact, I decided to take a two month respite from writing to focus my attention on the administrative end of the business with the intent to start my writing again after September 1st. Next week I will write more about our  foray into the iPhone app world, and the exciting changes that are in store for MomsTeam; but something has been weighing heavily on my mind all summer and now seems the appropriate time to publish my thoughts as many young people head back to school and start a new sports year.

Watching Kids Play Sports Can Be Tough For Some Safety-Conscious Parents

My first-born son, Taylor (granted, he is only older than his two triplet brothers by a minute!), has taken up a new sport: Ice climbing. He loves it, but I have to say I am less than thrilled. Should I worry?

I am often asked by safety-conscious parents for advice on how to be less nervous watching their children play sports. The questions come from first-time sports dads watching their children play sports against bigger kids to moms who admit to biting their nails during their sons' wrestling matches and football games.

Conditioning Program Helps Prevent Youth Sports Injuries

Proper conditioning can reduce the risk of injury in all sports, including baseball and soccer. It is particularly important for female athletes, who are predisposed to instability or dislocation of the kneecap (patella), pain and problems under the kneecap, and non-contact injuries to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), especially in sports like soccer and basketball that require twisting and cutting.

Overuse Injuries An Unfortunate By-Product of Youth Sports Boom

Overuse injuries have become commonplace among young athletes in the last decade (although "Little League elbow" has been a problem for decades). They are not the kind suffered by children and adolescents engaging in free play or "pick up" games, but are clearly a product of the organized youth sports boom. The damage to hard and soft tissues resulting from undetected, unreported and often untreated overuse injuries can be permanent and lead to problems later in life, such as arthritis.

Youth Sports Organizations Need Bad Weather Policies

Chances are wherever you live the weather is subject to change at a moment's notice. Squalls, tornadoes, or electrical storms can occur with little warning. If your child is playing or practicing in less than ideal weather conditions, you need to be aware of the possible hazards and have a plan worked out ahead of time to avoid the kind of potentially dangerous situation that can develop without a weather policy.

The End (Winning) Doesn't Justify the Means (Abuse)

e-mail from one of MomsTeam's readers illustrates in a powerful way the kind of abuse that is too often condoned in today's "win-at-all-costs" youth sports culture, abuse that, simply put, has to stop.

Youth Sports: Abuse Takes Many Forms

Abuse in youth sports takes four basic forms: physical, emotional, sexual and neglect. Unfortunately, all forms of abuse are common and the damage from the most common form of abuse (emotional abuse) is no less real than the damage resulting from other forms of abuse.
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