|
|
|
Football Injuries
October 25, 2007
|
Tis the season for field goals and fumbles that’s why it’s very important to make
sure your athlete tries to strive for an injury-free football season.
Dr. John Kagan is an orthopedic surgeon who has seen high school athletes really
pump
up their game over the last few years. “They’re bigger and they’re stronger
they go faster. You’re getting a lot more kinetic energy in this sport and that
translates into a lot harder hits and a lot harder injuries. It’s not uncommon for
people to be carried
off the field,” says Kagan.
Although that’s a scenario coaches and parents don’t want to see happen, the gridiron
can be grueling.
“The most common injuries I see are injuries to the knee or injuries to the shoulder
or injuries to the wrist,” says Dr. Kagan.
Phil Dorn is the Athletic Director and Head Football Coach at Bishop Verot High
School. He too is no stranger to player injuries. “The obvious ones are the knee
injuries; you know head injuries which are very common as
well of course the other
things are the ankles.”
Dr. Kagan and Coach Dorn say serious injuries aren’t always caused by tough tackles.
You can tear cartilage or a ligament simply by someone falling on your knee in a
certain way.
Coaches and physicians agree that football players should start weight training
and conditioning long before they step onto the turf.
Dr. Kagan says, “The best thing parents can do is to make sure their children are
getting proper nutrition and that they are doing their exercises and doing warm-ups
before they participate.”
“The best condition your body is in and the less fatigue your body experiences,
the less likelihood for an injury,” says Dorn.
Many high school football players participate in year-round strength and conditioning
programs to prevent serious injuries during the season. Physicians say placers who’ve suffered ligament or meniscus tears are usually able to get back on the field in
a matter of months.
|
|
|
|
