{"id":151867,"date":"2019-07-11T11:07:29","date_gmt":"2019-07-11T15:07:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/?post_type=school-college-post&p=151867"},"modified":"2019-07-18T17:02:59","modified_gmt":"2019-07-18T21:02:59","slug":"its-about-more-than-the-score","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/2019\/07\/its-about-more-than-the-score\/","title":{"rendered":"It\u2019s About More Than the Score"},"content":{"rendered":"

When youth athletes, parents and coaches have their focus in the right places, our kids are the winners, even when the scoreboard says otherwise.<\/p>\n

Exercise comes with its own set of physical and mental benefits, but organized youth sports adds developmental and educational benefits, such as drawing lessons from failure and being part of something bigger than themselves.<\/p>\n

\"Dr.
Dr. Timothy Lishnak (UConn Health file photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cParticipation in team sports involves learning how to win, and how to lose, and the latter helps develop a youth\u2019s resiliency and self-esteem, particularly when they work with an understanding and supportive coach to help foster those attributes,\u201d says Dr. Timothy Lishnak<\/a>, UConn Health family medicine physician. \u201cThey have the opportunity to learn skills that will be with them for the rest of their life. Those skills include how to function within a team, what it means to be a team member, and an introduction to the rules of the game. These can be extrapolated to how to be a member of society, to get along with others, to engage in the \u2018rules\u2019 of society, essentially social skills.\u201d<\/p>\n

If the emphasis is on promoting activity in a fun and supportive environment, there\u2019s little downside to participating in youth sports.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey are also developing wellness behaviors that will hopefully set a foundation for lifelong health habits,\u201d Lishnak says. \u201cAnd the development of lifelong habits in physical activity should mirror the development of healthy eating habits. You need to fuel your body with nutritious food to effect performance and minimize injury.\u201d<\/p>\n

Minimizing injury also is a byproduct of a young athlete developing an ability to recognize physical limitations.<\/p>\n

\u201cLearning how to listen to your body is an important skill that athletes need to develop,\u201d Lishnak says. \u201cIgnoring warnings signs will increase the risk of injury, that fine line between discomfort and pain. It\u2019s always important to start off slowly and then advance; this helps the body develop strength and endurance that will support activity and decrease injury.\u201d<\/p>\n

The most common types of injuries Lishnak sees are lower extremity injuries such as ankle sprains. Awareness of concussions and their repercussions has led to a greater focus among physicians, trainers, coaches and parents on preventing, recognizing, and treating head injuries.<\/a><\/p>\n

Most avoidable are overuse injuries, which are more prevalent in athletes who don\u2019t allow themselves to have an off-season. Someone who plays only baseball year-round is more prone to shoulder stress from repeated throwing than someone who takes a few months off or who switches to other sports.<\/p>\n

\"Dr.
Dr. Kathrine Coyner (Photo by Peter Morenus)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cAdolescents are more susceptible to overuse injuries because their bodies are still developing,\u201d says Dr. Kathrine Coyner<\/a>, UConn Health orthopedic surgeon and a team physician for UConn athletics.<\/p>\n

Coyner offers the following guidelines to help young athletes<\/a> avoid overuse injuries:<\/p>\n