WRTG 393 Advanced Technical Writing
Dear Members of the Board,
I am enclosing my research report into the aftermath of injuries in our youth, from which changes are needed to protect not only our children’s health better but also their future.
I have received and documented information from multiple credible sources that establish the overuse, misuse and turning of a blind eye to injuries our youth are undergoing, while parents along with coaches continuing to enable it.
I am interested in meeting with you to discuss this matter further and would welcome any opportunity you are available to do such.
Sincerely,
The
Aftermath
Of
Injuries
In
Our
Youth
Executive Summary 5
Introduction6
Injuries in Sports7
Areas of Injury7
Common Causes for Injuries9
Impact of Major Injuries10
Paying a Greater Price13
Recommendations and Conclusion15
References16
Executive Summary
Over the last several years we have heard more and more about the injuries our youth has suffered, through broadcasting and social media. Kids have been paralyzed in some sports and have died while actively participating in others. The statistics in Table 1 speaks volumes as the number of reported injuries sustained yearly is staggering.
Four areas were analyzed:
Common injuries to body
Top 10 sports for injuries
Top 10 sports for concussions
Concussions by age
This report will provide statistical data on areas of the body that were injured the most, the sports that produces the most injuries, the sport that leaves one of the most impacting injuries that affect our youth later on in life, and the age groups that are mostly affected.
Aftermath of Injuries in Youth
Introduction
The purpose of this analytical report is to cover the issues of what children go through when beginning sports, being forced to play sports because of their parents, traveling and exercises, and how they are affected as they continue to get older. My research and analysis will show that children and youth physical structure are handling the poundings physically at a young age but are breaking down the cartilage as they continue to grow and get heavier. In my research, I found that kids aren’t getting enough rest and presented many stress factors that they should not have to undergo at such a young age, which is breaking down their bodies. We’ve all seen those parents at the games yelling at the kids as if they are supposed to play like a professional, taking away the fun factors that made the kid want to play. Then pushing them day in and day out with drills outside of practice and not letting them recover.
Injuries in Sports
Areas of Injury
In 2010, over 2.5 million sports injuries were reported. In the table below, you can get a visual of how impacting sports injuries are on the age groups. Highlighted are the top three percentages for each age group. Keep in mind that these particular sports were chosen because they get the most media coverage, causing them to appeal more to the youth.
In 2012, the reported injuries in Figure 1 are incredible. With a strain or sprain leading the group, it is the fractures, concussions, lacerations and dislocations that should worry everyone the most. These particular injuries require a longer healing process and usually affect the child later on in life as they are more than likely to reinjure themselves, adding to the conditions of the first injure and making the condition much worse. “In fact, statistics show that in the two years following your initial ankle injury you are 50 percent more likely to re-injure your ankle and live with ankle pain for the rest of your life” (Stewart, 2013). Depending on the severity of a concussion, a child’s life could be forever changed. We have all seen the broadcasting of children playing football and get hit so hard that they cannot stand or worse, are paralyzed. Even with an injury like this being temporary, the impact is so significant that it will have changed the child’s life now and in the future, as they would no longer be able to play the sport or in some cases any contact sports again.
According to a report by Safe Kids Worldwide, more than half of the sports related injuries to children are in head, fingers, ankles, knees and face. The common ER diagnosis of youth sports injuries are sprain or strain, fracture, concussions, abrasions or contusions, laceration, dislocation, etc. (Healy, 2013). Physical activity is an essential part of normal growth among children. However, with an increase in the activity level intensity, injuries and tissue breakdown become common. Such injuries are called overuse injuries and they are frequently seen among adult athletes, but the numbers are increasing staggeringly among children as the level of competition has increased significantly in their age groups. The biggest factor that contributes to the increase in the overuse injuries among young athletes is their increased focus on repetitive, intense, and specialized training starting at much younger ages (Nationwide Children’s, n.d.).
Common Causes for Injuries
Injuries among young athletes are common in contact sports such as American football, basketball, soccer, baseball, softball, volleyball, wrestling, cheerleading, gymnastics, and track and field (Healy, 2013). In youth sports, 62 percent of the organized sports injuries take place during practice sessions. There is a history of of young athletes injuring themselves during practice before a game or in a training session. Premature return from injury is another major cause for youth related injuries as their young body is not in the physical state to overcome injuries as soon as their mature and professional counterparts. Around 15.8 percent of the young football players, who face concussion related injuries, end up playing the same day (SWATA, n.d.). Sprains and strains are some of the most common forms of injuries to a young athlete as they are related to a tendon, muscle or ligament that can easily be stretched during their games, training and practice sessions.
Overuse injuries are common among young athletes as repetitive application of the submaximal stress causes injury to normal tissues. Overuse injuries are more prevalent in organized sports settings, and there have been an increasing number of injuries to youth involved in student athletic programs. Excessive levels of training and physical activity can lead to increased risk of injury among student athletes. If injuries in youth are not managed effectively, it is possible that they might hinder a young athlete’s physical maturation and growth. Some of the overuse injuries such as stress fractures, bursitis, tendinitis, osteochondral injuries, and apophysitis were rare among children in the past, but today’s competitive nature of student athletics has led to increase in number of injuries. Some of the reasons for overuse injuries among student athletes are specialization of sport at a relatively young age, imbalance of strength, anatomic malalignment, pre-existing injury/condition, improper footwear, growth cartilage resistant to repetitive pressures and microtrauma, and intense repetitive trainings during growth periods (Nationwide Children’s, n.d.).
Impact of Major Injuries
In case of few student-athletes suffering from an injury, the psychological response can lead to unmasking or triggering of mental health issues like anxiety, depression, disordered eating and physical and substance abuse. An injured student athlete goes through emotional reaction, which includes processing the information received from the doctors and coping with the pain and anguish of missing games at the same time. Some of the emotional responses faced by injured student athletes include irritation, sadness, isolation, lack of motivation, frustration, anger, changes in appetite, disengagement and sleep disturbance (Putukian, n.d.). In several cases, student-athletes are able to make comebacks to their pre-injury levels. But, there are other cases where student athlete might never make their comeback and their playing career as at stake. Therefore, student athletes stand at a risk of never playing the game they like or failure to deliver similar standards before their injury.
Concussions are common among student athletes on every level: college level, high school, and younger. Concussions are not restricted to football, but other sports also report cases such as hockey, cheerleading, lacrosse, wrestling, soccer, etc. It is tough to trace concussions as they do not lead to unconsciousness, and many student athletes never realize that they are suffering from concussion. There are four symptoms of concussion: physical, remembering/thinking, sleep, and emotional/mood. The symptoms of thinking are people facing difficulty in thinking clearly, concentrating and remembering new information, and feeling slowed down. The indicators of physical concussion are headache, blurry or fuzzy vision, vomiting or nausea, dizziness, sensitivity to light or noise, feeling tired, balance problems, and having no energy. Emotional/mood indicators are irritability, acting nervous, emotional or anxious. Indicators of sleep are sleeping longer hours, insomnia, feeling limited hours, etc. (Saenz & Young, n.d.).
Paying a Greater Price
The injury alone is not a challenge for student athlete as their future is at stake and they need to find ways to make a comeback in best possible fitness level and deliver their best performance. Several young athletes struggle to cope with the pressure of overcoming an injury and maintaining their performance standards. But, these are just the challenges of their athletic performances; their greatest struggle comes in their after sports life as several athletes suffer from physical and mental struggles caused due to their athletic careers. Several youngsters are unable to overcome the physical injuries and mental trauma they suffer while playing sports. In one way, student athletes that are injured tend to face a long battle that lasts for a whole life for many of them. For playing their favorite sports at organized level, several youngsters are placing their mind, body and soul on the line.
Also, several athletes suffer from meltdowns as their self-esteem is hit hard after an injury, and they are forced to rely on others for support and help. As most athletes develop independent personalities, their post injury life steals their sense of independence from them. Many young athletes end up becoming so involved in their rituals and routines that they fail to develop themselves and prepare for a life outside of the game. Injuries make young athletes dependent on their doctors, physical therapists, athletic trainers, family, and others around them. This situation is challenging for athletes as they are trained to handle situations and overcome the odds. For many young athletes, their place is in the field and without their athletic career life does not hold a lot of importance for them.
After sustaining an injury, student athletes need to face some of the psychological pressures of life that they are not accustomed in position. When young athletes are injured, they face several psychological factors. These factors are capable of overwhelming them, as students are facing internal and external losses in their professional and personal life at once. Injuries bring a feeling of identity loss among young athletes as many of them can only relate with the game and the loss of their playing time makes them feel lonely. Longer their injury lay-off, the longer is the psychological impact on the life of a young athlete. When young athletes miss out on games and training for long periods of time, it becomes challenging for them to handle their emotions. This loss of identity is tough to overcome, especially at a young age.
Recommendation and Conclusion
Injuries in youth are tough to overcome on physical, psychological and emotional level. It is important that young athletes are given support to overcome not only their physical injuries, and they need to be counseled and help needs to be given in terms of emotional support. Young athletes that end up injuring themselves and are failing to make comeback need to be guided and informed that there is much more to life than the game and there are other ways to remain linked to the game. Injury in a young age to athletes is not the best time as they end up suffering from physical and psychological challenges throughout their life, but these challenges can be countered though physical therapy and other form of medical support to reduce or limit their pain. Overall, injuries are part and parcel of an athletic life, but it is important that effective framework is built to help young athletes overcome their physical and psychological pain and help them to continue to their life and career inside and outside the game.
The number of injuries to young athletes per year has crossed 1.35 million and the majority of these injuries are in specific areas of the athlete’s body. There are some common areas of injury among young athletes such as head, ankles, fingers, face and knees. Some of the common games that cause injury to young athletes are football, soccer, basketball, baseball, volleyball, softball, wrestling, etc. Most of the injuries caused to young athletes are due to overuse injuries as they are forced to cross their physical threshold and the pressure placed on their body overcomes their ability to handle the stress. Injuries in the youth cause the greatest amount of physical and psychological pain in the short term and the long term. There are several impacts of injuries in youth and it can be best classified in terms of psychological and emotional end results.
References
Healy., M. (2013). Top Youth Sports Injuries. Retrieved 2 July 2016 from, http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/08/06/injuries-athletes-kids-sports/2612429/
Nationwide Children’s. (n.d.). Kids' Sports Injuries - the Numbers are Impressive. Retrieved 2 July 2016 from, http://www.nationwidechildrens.org/kids-sports-injuries-numbers-are-impressive
Munoz., K. (2012, 12 August). Sport-related injuries leave lasting, painful effects. Retrieved 2 July 2016 from, http://www.recordnet.com/article/20120812/A_SPECIAL0231/120819975
Putukian., M. (n.d.). Mind, Body and Sport: How being injured affects mental health. Retrieved 2 July 2016 from, http://www.ncaa.org/health-and-safety/sport-science-institute/mind-body-and-sport-how-being-injured-affects-mental-health
Saenz., P & Young., E. (n.d.). Managing Concussions Among Student Athletes. Retrieved 15 June 2015 from, http://blog.mysanantonio.com/sanantoniohealthconnect/2015/06/managing-concussions-among-student-athletes/
Stewart., A. (2013, 19 December). I Have a Recurring Ankle Injury. How Do I Prevent Another?. Retrieved 2 July 2016 from, https://coastalorthopedics.com/recurring-ankle-injury-prevent-another/
SWATA. (n.d.). Statistics on Youth Sports Safety. Retrieved 2 July 2016 from, http://www.swata.org/statistics/
