A Newbie Youth Baseball Coach’s Guide to Recognizing Health Issues in Their Players

Sports are a great way to keep young people healthy, emotionally and physically. They teach kids about dedication, teamwork, the pride of success and how to lose with grace and dignity. Sports also help kids stay and shape and develop healthy exercise habits they can keep for a lifetime. But for all the good they do, sport also creates a number of opportunities for young people to be injured.

Sports injuries in young people have been increasing on a yearly basis, and in baseball, an average of three children per year are actually fatally injured. The coach is the last line of defense between children and sports related injuries. Keeping a watchful eye on your players, while understanding the main risk factors for injury, is the best way to keep your team healthy and on top of their game.

Baseball coaches are not mind readers, and sometimes players, in an effort to stay competitive, may try to hide their injuries from their coaches. One of the most important things you can do at the start of every season is to sit down with your team and explain to them the importance of reporting any injuries or pain they experience during practice or games to you immediately. Emphasize to them that they will not be penalized in any way for taking time out to heal, and that there is no honor in “suffering through†or “taking one for the team.†If they want to have a long career ahead of them in baseball, they should not risk their future by ignoring their pain and injuries.

Drive home the point the relatively minor injuries can turn into career ending injuries if untreated. Beyond opening the lines of communication between your players and you, get to know your players. Know their medical histories, any conditions they might have and how to treat them, and get a feel for what is “normal†for them.

Even though you have made it clear to your players that they should come to you when they experience any new kind of pain or injury, that doesn’t mean you can count on them to do so. Keep an eye out for any child who is not participating at the level they normally do, whose performance is slipping, or who appears to be favoring one arm or leg. This is especially true after you had worked the team out extra-hard, added new conditioning drills, changed playing surfaces, or switched players between positions. All of these changes can lead to overuse injuries, which account for more than 50% of childhood sports related injuries. You’ll know a child has an overuse injury if the pain improves after rest, but worsens when they begin to exercise again. In the case of an overuse injury, a child should rest for four days. If there is no improvement after that time, the child should see their doctor.

Of course, one of the best ways to deal with injuries is to prevent them altogether. You can minimize the risk of your players being injured by training them in the correct way to use all equipment and insisting they always follow the proper technique. Make sure your equipment is well maintained and in good working order. Be realistic about the athleticism of your team and don’t push them beyond their safe limits. Remember to keep the weather in mind and don’t endanger your players by forcing them to work out in extreme heat and cold.

Looking out for the physical well being of your players is only half the battle. As a coach, you need to keep an eye on the emotional wellness of your team as well. Youth sports today are highly competitive, and sometimes parents become a little overly involved in their children’s games, shouting abusive comments and putting undue pressure on the children. Step in right away in circumstances like this and let the parents of your players know this kind of behavior will not be tolerated. Demand your players respect each other as well. When every player feels part of the team, the team will function at the highest level they possibly can.

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