Health & Safety

As part of its EyeSmart^TM campaign the American Academy of Ophthalmology reminds parents that the only way to prevent a sports-related eye injury is for athletes to wear appropriate, sport-specific protective eyewear properly fitted by an eye care professional.

Wyoming's youth sports concussion safety law (Chapter 190) was signed into law by the governor on March 10, 2011. Unlike stronger concussion laws passed in other states, the Wyoming law does not, among other things, require removal of athletes from games or practices if they are suspected to have suffered a concussion, or require medical clearance before return to play.

A weak youth sports concussion safety law (Chapter 294) was signed into law by the governor of Idaho on April 11, 2010.

In March 2011, Utah governor Hebert signed the state's Protection of Athletes with Head Injuries Act into law requiring amateur youth sports organizations to adopt a concussion policy, provide the policy to parents, obtain their written consent before an athlete is allowed to participate, and establishing removal and return to play rules.

On March 22, 2011, Colorado governor signed the Jake Snakenberg Youth Concussion Act. The law is the first in the country to extend coverage to athletes as young as age 11.  It not only covers public and private school athletes but those on private youth sports clubs as well.

On March 17, 2011, South Dakota became the tenth state to enact a strong youth sports concussion safety law requiring immediate removal from play of an athlete suspected of having suffered a concussion and requiring medical clearance before return to play.

The National Athletic Trainers' Association urges parents, coaches, athletes and administrators to work together to prevent youth sports injuries even before an athlete takes to the playing field.

If your child is a pitcher, he/she has about a fifty-fifty chance of experiencing pain in his/her elbow or shoulder during his/her baseball career. Not surprisingly, baseball has been the most widely studied youth sport in the United States, so that the risk factors for overuse injuries are well-established.

The signs and symptoms of overuse injury should not be ignored as "growing pains" but should be taken seriously by the athlete, parent, and coach, says a 2011 position statement on overuse injuries issued by the National Athletic Trainers' Association.

Overuse injuries account for fifty percent of all youth sports injuries, but half are preventable, says the National Athletic Trainers' Association in a new position statement.