Sports injuries in children have been on the rise since the 70s, when youth and amateur play was not yet the high-stakes pipeline to professional athletics that it often is today.

Parents, coaches and athletic organizations have been slow to react, but lately there has been some encouraging movement as tales of preventable injury are spread through social media and the press.

Repetitive injuries are having a moment right now, as evidenced by recent measures to mandate more rest and recovery time for baseball pitches who have been suffering shoulder and elbow injuries with alarming frequency:

A group that oversees policy for high school sports — the National Federation of State High School Associations — has called on its state affiliates to adopt their own rules for how many pitches a student-athlete can throw in a single game and how much rest pitchers must have between appearances in games. In response, the New York State High School Athletic Association plans to have a proposal by October and new rules in place for next spring.

It’s an encouraging step, but it’s just the beginning. Ideally we will someday see rest and relaxation baked into the very notion of youth sports – not because it is mandated, but because it is simply what’s done.

Until that time, the American Orthopedic and Sports Medicine center is here to help with your pediatric orthopedic needs. Contact us today for an appointment

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Tags: high school pitching safety, pediatric orthopedic surgery, pediatric orthopedists, pitch count kids