Dr Robert Weil – Working with Parents in Sport

Supporting the early specialisation athlete

Dr Robert Weil — Thu, 23 May 2019 05:23:18 +0000

So often, young athletes and their parents are faced with the question regarding concentrating on their main sport versus playing multiple sports. Today it’s not unusual to see kids younger than 12, some as young as 6, already putting all their efforts, and parent’s money into one sport. The multiple sport athlete is far less common today than years ago.

Some of the thinking by parents and coaches is that the young athlete will fall behind if they play different sports instead of playing just one sport all year round. All experts agree that early specialisation is risky both physically and mentally.

Here are some things to think about if your children specialise in one sport:

Physically, with young growing bodies, playing the same sport with the same movements, the same muscles being used and the same stresses to tissues, is very challenging. Overuse injuries to the upper and lower extremities are a real problem. We’ve already noted that these injuries are a youth epidemic. Many feel that specialising just multiplies these problems.
It is important to include off sport conditioning that helps to develop the overall athlete and strengthen against these repetitive motion injuries. Concentrate on what Bob Gajda, famous sports therapist called ” strengthening the opposites and stabilisers”. The muscles and tendons that worked against those repetitive motions. Athletic trainers, physical therapists and personal trainers can help devise these programs. This kind of training is also helpful for multiple sport athletes.
Make sure that strengthening feet and ankles and working balance is included no matter what the sport! It is so important.

Tennis, figure skating, gymnastics, swimming, soccer and ballet are all examples of early specialisation sports. It’s common for me to see young figure skaters under the age of 10 already skating every day. They are just not interested in other sports.

Most sports medicine doctors, physical therapists, and athletic trainers agree that playing multiple sports is a safer route to take where injuries are concerned. Almost all also agree that specialisation is a greater risk especially for overuse and repetitive motion injuries. The challenge is it’s a very tough sell for these early specialisation sports.

Too many coaches and traveling teams and club sports really push this idea that not specialising will cause these young athletes to “fall behind” in the contest to produce the best for their sport. There is no evidence that this is true. There are many examples of great athletes in all sports who grew up playing other sports and then during their teens and later paid total attention to the one sport.

We’ve talked a lot about the overuse and repetitive motion injuries prevalent in youth sports and the even greater risks with early specialisation sports.

One of my favourite points is the importance of “Intelligent Rest”. The necessity of proper recovery- regardless of the sport or intensity. Young growing bodies need to properly recover from these physical demands, particularly with the early specialisation sports. Sports medicine and science has come a long way with new methods and tools helping with recovery but none of them can replace ‘Intelligent Rest.’ Some of the most successful young athletes I’ve seen over the years in the these sports would take off 3-4 weeks a couple times a year. Take off? That means a real break from the sport- no training or practice. Doing other things- being a child. Physical activities are fine- bike- swim- etc, but no specific sport related activity.

Sports parents must insist on these breaks- often the kids or coaches won’t!

Another danger is “the mental game” and the real concerns of mental burnout. Sports parents need to be aware that when these children don’t get breaks from their sports, they can really turn off. The late sports psychologist, Dr. Jim Vicory, who shared my radio show for a few years in the 1990s paid special attention to this. He would stress that “kids no matter how serious or talented needed to have fun. They were not small adults but young developing children who need to learn through experience and not be robots being consistently drilled”. The pressures, some from sports parents, coaches, and the kids themselves are very real and relentless- the competition alone can be really challenging!

The pressures, schedules, and physical demands on some of these children are extreme. If your young athlete needs pain medicine to participate or stay in the game, YOU’RE OVER THE LINE!

This article was written by Dr Robert Weil and adapted from his section in the book of #HeySportsParents.

How do you choose the best footwear for your sporting children?

Dr Robert Weil — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 05:45:55 +0000

Choosing the best shoes for your young athlete is key. So is the importance of proper fit. The reality is that there is no best shoe- period! I remember writing articles on the topic and the picture we used for them was a collage of numerous brands & styles. That’s the point- lots of choices! So let’s talk about what’s important.

Make sure you’re choosing shoes that are designed for the sport.

Even though there is often over hype about every sport needing a specific shoe, for the most part its smart to stick with what’s designed with the sport’s demands in mind. Good sturdy heel counters are important as is ball of foot flexibility whatever the sport. Only running shoes have different foot type criteria- like motion control, neutral or stability designs. These are not options for other sports- although they should be!

Stick with “name brands” with good quality

You don’t need the highest price, especially with the relentless advertising and hype for “the latest,’ but stay away from bargain brands. If your young athlete has had good success with a particular brand or style, stick with it. This is easier said than done because the brands are always changing- sports shoes are such a huge business. Hand me downs – wearing your older brother’s or sister’s shoes is never a good idea! They can cause problems, especially with running and jumping sports.

If your young athlete has foot, ankle, lower extremity injury history, or fitting problems, get a podiatrist’s opinion.

This is a good idea regardless of history. Ask what is the best shoe for my son or daughter’s foot type or mechanics? Might orthotics be beneficial? -both good and important questions!

Generally, do not use running shoes for other sports.

Running shoes are designed for straight ahead movement – not side to side field or court sports. You can use “cross trainers” for any of these multi-directional sports with few exceptions. They have good stability & motion control.

Try to avoid cleats

This is an important topic. It’s a tradition for example to routinely have young soccer and baseball, softball, players in cleats. Even 5-6 yr. olds. The problem is that there are large growth centre in the heel that are susceptible to running and jumping stress that can be aggravated with the cleats. Most heel pain in kids under 12-13 yrs. old is related to this. If I’m describing your youngster- get them into a multiple nub shoe that spreads the pressure more evenly. These heel conditions called Sever’s or apophysitis are quite common especially in soccer where heel cleats sit right under the growth centre. Ball of the foot in growing children also has these growth centre and again cleats can cause problems. I would like to see no cleats before minimally adolescence but it’s a tough sell. If heel problems persist, get podiatry or medical evaluation. I’ve had great success with orthotics for these kids with chronic heel problems.

Ensure a proper fit

Would it surprise you to know that over 50% of all of us are not wearing the right size? That of course includes our young athletes, who’s feet are still growing. Make sure that you go to reputable sports shoe stores with trained “shoe fitters”. Make sure both feet are measured for both length and width. Make sure shoes are comfortable. Sounds simple but if they don’t feel great – don’t buy them!

Replace shoes regularly

In general, its smart to replace shoes for each season or at lease twice a year even if your kids haven’t outgrown them. We are often reluctant to do this as parents due to the huge costs and always try to get our value for money. Pay close attention to the shoes breaking down in either direction. Look at the back of the shoes sitting in front of you and check for heels rolling inward or outward. If cleats are used, check their wear pattern- if uneven- replace them.

Skates- both figure skating and hockey bring some important criteria.

It’s one of the largest groups of kids I see. Many are already specialising at the age of 10 and 11 years old. Proper fitting of boots in figure skating and hockey is crucial and I recommend only experienced boot fitters in both sports. Again, if foot problems persist or recur, get podiatry opinion. Shoes, no matter what the price, are wearing apparel. They are not foot type, (flat feet or high arches), specific. They are not corrective. That’s where orthotics come in, something that we will discuss further in our next blog.

This article was written by Dr Robert Weil and adapted from his section in the book of #HeySportsParents.