School is starting in a few weeks and, in addition to academics, my family with three teen boys is gearing up for a jam-packed fall season of sports. For the last several years, my husband and I have been switching gym memberships in the summer to one that will allow children over 10 to come in and workout alongside their parents. This has offered us a chance to keep everyone in decent shape during the hot, hot summers here where, out of necessity, spend too much time indoors in the air-conditioning reading and playing video games.
It’s not a good idea to let your child go from reduced activity in the summer to hard-core training in the late summer sun once school starts. While bodies do benefit from a little extra rest in the off-season, athletes who ignore working out in the summer will not only be huffing and puffing during sprints but are putting their bodies at risk for muscles strains, tendonitis and heat exhaustion or worse. Experts say that most sports injuries that happen in the early weeks of a sports season are from a lack of pre-season training.
Here are some Pre Season Sports Tips I’ve put together to make sure that your student athlete (middle school, high school and college) is taking measures to have a safe and successful season.
In addition to pre-season training, it’s also important to ensure your student athlete has been given a clean bill of health before stepping onto the playing field — in fact, most school-sponsored teams and league sports required that parents bring in signed paperwork as proof that their child has had a recent physical. Even if your child’s sports organization doesn’t require a check-up, it’s still a good idea to be seen by a medical professional before the season start to review immunization records, discuss any health and safety concerns, and be proactive about any unexpected problems.
MinuteClinic at CVS Pharmacy is a convenient way to take care of kids’ sports physicals without the hassle and wait time of trying to make a last-minute appointment with a pediatrician. No appointment is needed to see a medical professional – the young athlete is in and out quickly, seen by a qualified medical professional, and supplied with everything needed to ensure practice starts on day one (trust me, it’s so embarrassing to sit on the bench for the first week of school while mom gets the paperwork thing sorted out).
MinuteClinic can also get students current on their vaccines and immunizations. I figured my oldest son who is 18 years old and heading off to college later this month was long done with vaccinations – but I found out that most colleges now require meningitis and pertussis (whooping cough) shots before the first day of class. Click on the links to find out your state’s requirements for meningitis and pertussis immunizations.
MinuteClinic is offering $10 off a sports physical from now until 9/7/15 and a FREE Johnson & Johnson coupon book with $29 worth of savings! Check the store locator to find the nearest MinuteClinic in your area.
What sports do your kids play . .. or what were your athletic endeavors as a child? I was on the gymnastics team until 10th grade! Please share in the comments below – XOXO Jennifer
I have received promotional consideration from MinuteClinic and Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. All opinions are my own.
Great tips for student athletes and their parents!
I think probably the most important in this hot weather is to stay HYDRATED!
These tips are so important they should be sent out by the PTA to all parents at the end of each school year.
Wonderful tips!
Thanks Pam!
Passing these tips on to my kids so they can get the grand kids ready for the school sports season.
Thanks Maggie — I bet there are lots of sports going on over there!