Cartilage and ligament damage, broken bones and tendonitis have
always been the bane of college and professional athletes,
sidelining them from practice, tournaments and even entire
seasons of play. We are seeing these types of injuries in
younger children too. According to the National Youth Sports
Safety Foundation, annually approximately 30 million children
and adolescents participate in athletics. Each year high school
athlete’s account for nearly 2 million injuries and nearly twice
as many children under the age of 14 receive medical treatment
for sports related injuries. The game has changed dramatically
in youth sports. Neighborhood pick-up matches have given way to
organized teams with rigorous schedules. Children start playing
sports at a much younger age than their parents did, frequently
focusing on a single sport before hitting puberty. With an
increase in travel teams, recreational leagues and summer
clinics, single-season sports have morphed into year-round
commitments. This shift has put our yo