In Keeping with the Tokyo Olympics, get your child safely involved in sports

In keeping with the Tokyo Olympics and the athletic vibes all around, a lot of parents are starting to consider getting their children into sports which is a highly applaudable thought seeing how sports can be extremely beneficial for children in more ways than one. Getting involved in sports can help build their self-esteem as well as enable them to form life-long friendships. Professional sports can also help your child gain problem-solving skills, as well as time management, and goal-setting skills. However, as great as it is, there is a risk factor in practicing professional sports, so it is extremely important to know how to keep your children safe as they practice their favorite sports.

The risks of practicing sports

Despite the several benefits associated with practicing sports at a young age, there are some safety concerns that can’t be ignored, especially sports that have physical contact, such as football and wrestling, and sports that have a high risk of falling , such as biking.

Statistics show that up to 2.6 million American children are yearly taken to hospitals due to sports-related injuries. That even made some organizations request a full ban of sports that require any sort of engaging physically among children. However, this didn’t stop parents from signing their kids up for all kinds of sports as numbers show that every year, around 30 million kids engage in organized sports in the United States alone.

Safety Precautions

There are a few important things to keep in mind that can help you ensure your child’s safety while practicing organized sports. So make sure you always remind your child with the correct rules and safety precautions of the game they are playing to reduce the risk of injury. So, if they’re playing soccer, for example, make sure they follow the rules of the games while cutting off another player so that they don’t clash into them causing themselves or the player an unnecessary injury. And if they’re playing baseball, make sure they know the right way to slide across the field to protect themselves.

Another thing to pay attention to is the duration which your child spends on the field and the frequency of breaks he/she takes. Keep your eye open for any signs of excessive stress that may put your child in dangerous health risks such as severe dehydration or heat strokes.

Also make sure to always encourage your kids to warm up before engaging in any physical activity to help keep their muscles flexible and reduce the risk of injury. In the unfortunate case of an injury, it is crucial to follow all of the doctor ot the medical physician’s instructions for a full and safe recovery, and make sure to get the doctor’s approval before having your child back on the field as it is extremely important for your kid heal completely before going back to practice to avoid any future injuries.

 Safety Equipment

The safety gear that children wear while practicing sports is critical in preventing and reducing the risk of sports-related injuries. Among the most common and most serious injuries that occur in youth sports are head and brain injuries, with up to 21% of all traumatic brain injuries among children occurring while playing some type of a sport. Therefore, having a helmet on is extremely important to prevent concussions and other head and brain injuries.

Sports such as football, baseball, hockey, and biking require wearing helmets while practicing because helmets are designed to cushion and reduce the force of any counteracting effect on the skull. It is also incredibly important to consider the type of sport your child will be participating in as well as their age when deciding on the appropriate safety equipment and gear for them.

Safety-related Statistics

Any type of head injury can be disastrous for a child’s brain development. Scientific research has shown that repetitive head injuries can lead to long-term neurological and functional deficiency. It may take up to 6 to 18 months for a head injury to heal properly depending on the extent of the head injury. The term coined in 1984 for a head injury that occurs before a previous head injury has healed properly is called second trauma syndrome (SIS), and this type of injury is alarmingly common in high school students. A 2008 study found that 71% of high school football players who sustained a head injury had already suffered a previous head injury in the same season.

The Development of Safety Equipment

Since the majority of brain injuries in student athletes in the US are caused by practicing American football, the development of more effective and safe football helmets has been widely discussed and researched. Standard helmets are currently being designed to mitigate the impact of trauma to the skull, but because they do not effectively reduce the range of kinetic energy that causes the brain to implode inside the skull, resulting in concussions and other brain injuries, researchers and companies have invested a lot of time and money developing new designs for helmets that absorb the impact of a blow to the head.

Where to shop for Sports Equipment?

Jumia’s online store offers a wide range of products that include a wide collection of sports safety equipment that you can get at great prices. In addition to the discounts and promotions that Jumia offers, you can take advantage of the exclusive Jumia cashback deal on Yajny.com which gives you back up to 9% of the amount you paid for any of Jumia’s sports equipments, so you shop more, and save more.