Protecting yourself from sport injuries
It can be a lot of fun to play sports. You get much needed exercise, you make a lot of friends and you are having fun.
Getting hurt is never fun, but depending on the type of sport you play, it is always a possibility.
You can take a few precautions to prevent this.
Each type of sport will have its own 'protective gear' that you can wear. Different things that will protect your head or parts of your body to get hurt. Some people do not like to wear protective gear, because they feel it will slow them down or be in the way, but there is a reason why a sport has protective gear.
A helmet is worn in many sports and is very important to protect your head. If you have to wear a helmet in the sport you practice, make sure the helmet fits properly and is not too big, otherwise it will just fall off, and make sure you fasten the helmet properly.
Other types of protective gear can be mouth guards, eye guards, special gloves or clothing or special shoes. You have to find out what type of protective gear you will need for the specific sport you want to play.
For more information on the different sports and the protective gear needed, you can read here.
Before you go onto the field or the court, it is necessary that you warm your muscles up. If you just run onto the field and start playing, the chances are bigger to hurt or pull a muscle, because you did not warm it up and now you just expect you muscles to start working at top speed.
Everywhere in life you will find rules. There are rules at school, in your house and when you are on the road. Rules are there to prevent chaos and let people know what they may and may not do. That way people know exactly what is expected from them and what can get them into trouble.
It is the same with sports. Make sure that you know the rules of the game and how it is played. That way you can stay save by doing what is expected from you and also making sure that you are not behaving in a way that can hurt you or anybody else.
If you play a team sport where you have a position, you need to know where you may move in that position and what is your responsibilities. That way you stay out of the way of other players as well as out of harm's way.
Nobody likes sitting on a bench and missing a game, but if you were hurt in a previous match, or the one you are busy playing, you need to be honest with your coach. It is better to sit out one or two games and get better, than to miss the whole season because you get hurt more when you continue playing.
You need to look after yourself and no matter how much you would like to win or be the 'player of the match', do not take unnecessary risks and hurt yourself in the process.
Go out there, enjoy yourself and be safe. Then you will have many more times to play the sport you love.
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