Youth Sports: Don't Play Hurt
Pat McInally was an All-America wide receiver at Harvard College and an All-Pro punter for the Cincinnati Bengals. He wrote the book "Moms and Dads, Kids and Sports" and a syndicated newspaper column, "Pat Answers for Kids." He is also the founder of the GoodSports concept: Youth sports are meant to be fun -- for everyone. GoodSports promotes sportsmanship, perspective and fairness. He is the father of two budding athletes.
(Oct. 25, 2002) -- Over the past couple of weeks, we've seen a pair of unbelievable performances at the end of games by injured quarterbacks. These were two players we, as viewers, didn't even know were hurt badly until the next day.
First, Cleveland's Kelly Holcomb led an incredible comeback in the fourth quarter of the Ravens-Browns game in Week 5 . I remember watching him limp around after pass completions and wondering what was wrong, figuring it must be a sprained ankle or something. But in reality, the guy was hobbling up and down the field with a cracked shinbone. He will miss several weeks, at a minimum.
Then in Week 6's Sunday night game, Jay Fiedler led the Dolphins on a scintillating drive in the final 45 seconds to a game-winning field goal that defeated the Broncos . The day after, it was revealed that he had completed those passes with a broken thumb on his throwing hand. Isn't that just amazing? Unfortunately, he, too, is out for an extended period of time.
While these heroics are certainly inspirational, it's scary when you think of young athletes attempting such things.
For many announcers and coaches, a common theme is the ability of pro players to play through pain -- to "play hurt." While it makes for a great story, it's not something that young players should be emulating. And it's certainly not something that responsible coaches and parents should push on youngsters.
"Playing hurt" on the professional level means that an athlete has a physical problem which is somewhat limiting but has little potential to cause long-term or permanent damage.
"Playing injured," on the other hand, involves playing when there's a real risk of seriously aggravating or compounding an injury. Pros may play hurt but they seldom, if ever, play injured. Let's face it, they're protected as investments by team owners, they have to look out for their own financial futures, and they're guided by team physicians worried about lawsuits.
With these athletes, the decision to play when hurt is based on the expertise of a very experienced sports medicine team, professionals who have great knowledge and insight into an athlete's body and pain threshold. In addition, this evaluation is made immediately after an injury occurs and aggressive, expensive treatments will follow, in many cases lessening the severity and duration of the injury.
Unfortunately, very few, if any, young athletes have access to this level of diagnosis and treatment. All too often, they are left to "tough it out", "walk it off" or "play through the pain" out of ignorance or to impress themselves or others. Without expert guidance, these "brave", but ill-advised attempts can lead to serious conditions that may ruin a youngster's career and health.
There are plenty of professional athletes who are unbelievably tough. Their bodies and minds, however, are supremely conditioned to handle pain, they have top-notch medical and conditioning guidance, and they obviously have more on the line than young athletes. Let them do these extraordinary things, but make sure to protect any young athlete from trying to play when they shouldn't.
Here are some tips to share with your child which may help them--and you-- understand what to do when they get hurt: