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Why More Kids Get Adult Injuries What To Do To Prevent Sports-Related Injuries

Main Page NEW YORK, Nov. 18, 2005

Living (CBS) Injuries like tearing the Recipes ACL, chipping pieces of bone from Pets an elbow, and lower back Relationships problems may sound like adult ConsumerWatch ailments, but more kids are SuperSavers suffering from these injuries Money because of organized sports. Beauty & Fashion Chic on a Shoestring "I've been playing baseball ever Parenting since I could throw the ball," Nick Study Hall Mulcahy of Massachusetts tells Home The Early Show co-anchor Rene Travel Syler. "When I was in Little Online Resources League it used to be every day Caught In The Web Nick Mulcahy and sister playing in front of their house. (CBS/The Early Show) after school for like two hours. Tax Tips And then, after that, I'd usually HealthWatch come home and play wiffle ball with my little brother." Leisure Series Little League is often thought of as QUOTE The Saturday Early Show child's play but these days kids like Nick are getting injuries Contributors "If they don't want to go through surgery, they should watch how much reminiscent of those in the big Bios they throw and how much they play." leagues. Nick is 14 and has already had three surgeries on his Nick Mulcahy elbows because of what's being called "Little League elbow," basically overuse from pitching and hitting.

"It was like locking, like I had to bring it back every time to put it down, and it was Help clicking," Nick says. Childhood Sports Injuries "At the time, the doctor said at the time, small pieces of bone were breaking off Team sports are a great way for kids to get fit and have fun, PHOTO ESSAY and floating, causing this clicking noise and causing his arms to lock up," his but with injuries on the rise parents need to ask: Are we father, Steve, says. pushing our kids too much? Dr. Lyle Micheli offered Week In Sports answers. The week's biggest winners, losers and Both Nick and his dad insist the injuries weren't caused by pressure from anyone newsmakers. to play. They chalk it up to boys being boys. RELATED VIDEO "Nicky plays hard," his dad says. "You can tell your son to take it easy out there, Childhood Sports Injuries | but when they get out on the field they play hard." INTERACTIVE ES: LIVING VIDEOS ALL ES: LIVING VIDEOS HealthWatch While he has no intention of slowing down, Nick does have a few words of Explore health issues wisdom to other kids out there. Shoestring: July 4th Grilling | including AIDS, She Wears Short Shorts | cancer and "If they don't want to go through surgery, they should watch how much they throw antibiotics. and how much they play," he says. "Have a pitch counter or make sure the More Than The Cat's Pajamas | coach doesn't throw them as much in the games or practice." Southern Cooking At Home | RELATED STORIES & LINKS Dr. Lyle Micheli, director of the Division of Sports Medicine at Children's TOP VIDEOS ALL VIDEOS Preventing Kids' Sport Hospital Boston says U.S. Baseball has come out with guidelines on how much Injuries kids can play in Little League and Babe Ruth games. Little League allows kids to Finding Strength After Tragedy | Dr. Emily Senay Offers Tips pitch 6 innings per game and Babe Ruth allows 7 innings per game. Practice 'Big Brother 8' Exclusive | http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/11/18/earlyshow/living/studyhall/main1055927.shtml Page 1 of 2 Why More Kids Get Adult Injuries, What To Do To Prevent Sports-Related Injuries - CBS News 7/20/07 11:58 AM

time is not included. 'Big Brother 8' Exclusive | Under The Red Carpet | Steps For Boys' Success In "The guidelines don't effectively approach the problem because one kid can Sea Birds In Arctic | Sports throw 100 pitches per inning and one can throw 60," said Micheli, who is also Dr. Emily Senay Provides Tips To Nick's doctor. "The kid with poorer form will throw more. But if the dad also has Help Boys Partake And Enjoy More Video Sports the kid outside every night and coaches keep practicing them, it's not effective."

His advice is to come up with better guidelines. The following are his Tackling Sports Injuries suggestions: Dr. Eric Small Offers Advice Mandatory credentialing for youth sports coaches: "We can make them take mandatory courses and be tested on safety," he says. STORIES VIDEOS PHOTOS Recognizing Kids' Sports • Just 18 Months Left For Bush | E-Mail Injuries Set further limitations: "A kid should not be training more than 20 hours a Dr. Jordan Metzl Of The week. And even so, there's such variability with that," he says. "If they are • Natalee Holloway: New Clues | E-Mail Saturday Early Show Shares training more than 30 hours a week, they should be monitored every • Cops: Fla. Woman Kept 9 Handcuffed At Home | E- Guidelines three months by a doctor. Of equal importance is the 10 percent rule. Mail Don't increase the training more than 10 percent each week. If they run • Missing Mom's Secret Life | E-Mail around the track once a day, then they can't do it twice the next day. They Kick Off Injury-Free Season • Poll: 63% Say Clinton "Likely" To Win | E-Mail With Greater Kid Participation In should only increase a small percentage to build up strength and stamina." Sports Most Popular Stories RSS Feed Have a pitch count: "The average dad should be sure his kid does not do more than 300 skilled throws a week, not just lobbing, and that includes practice with dad, team practice and the games," he says. Advertising Links | What's This?

Mortgage Rates Fall Again Micheli says sports-related injuries happen more often in girls than boys since $430,000 Loan $1299/mo. Think you pay too much? No girls are now participating almost as much as boys and are more prone to injury. SSN required. www.LowerMyBills.com

"Girls are more at risk for injuries where the muscles get too tight in their Refinance with Bad Credit compartment," he says. "These types of injuries are seen in any running sports. Compare up to 4 free quotes. Serious refinance requests There is some indication that kneecap irritation is more prevalent in girls. And only. girls are three to five times more at risk for an ACL injury than boys. We see that www.homeloanhelpline.com injury in soccer, basketball and field sports." Don't Quit Your Job He says the sports in which children are least likely to suffer any of these injuries Take classes online and earn your degree in less than 2 are racquet sports, swimming and — believe it or not — ice hockey. "It sounds years. www.ClassesUSA.com crazy, but it's because the foot can always move," he says. "It's not locked into a position on the ground, so that helps."

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