This post is sponsored by the National Athletic Trainers’ Association
As a mom of two kids in youth sports including dance, soccer, cheerleading and basketball; I am learning as I go when it comes to a lot of things sports related. Not only the rules of the games and how to try to calm myself from screaming so loud during games (really, I can’t help myself). But also how I can advocate for my kids, keep them safe and ensure they have fun. That’s a lot to learn!
I knew I couldn’t say no when I had the amazing opportunity to meet David Stricklin, Head Athletic Trainer for the Seattle Seahawks. Not only did I get to meet him, I got to tour the practice facility while he provided myself and fellow AllMomDoes gals some super smart tips regarding youth sports.
David Stricklin, Head Athletic Trainer, has a big job. I never realized just how critical this role is to the safety and performance of a successful team. Unfortunately, it is not the norm in America for youth sports to have an athletic trainer on their coaching team. It often becomes our role as the parent. David is also a dad to two young girls so he gave a great perspective on things we can realistically do for our kids.
Here are some of my favorite tips I learned.
Hydrate! My favorite quote from him was, “Hydrate Monday for the Game on Sunday!” I have already talked to my kids about the need to stay hydrated. No chugging Gatorade right before running onto the field. David says if you are thirsty, that means you have not hydrated your body well enough.
Cold Weather Sports– The hydration tip led into some of his cold weather tips. Often times, players, kids in particular, will not stay hydrated in colder weather. This is a big mistake and something us as the parents can educate our kids about.
Character Matters! David talked about forming a team and it’s not “simply” the best athletic performance. It’s about the make up of the team. Character matters. The character of a player leads into the team’s performance. As a mom, I love this because I think it’s so important to remind our kids about being a team player. But now I can tell them someone way cooler than me said this too!
Build a Relationship With the Coach– When it comes to not pushing our kids too hard and their overall safety, David recommends ensuring we gain a good relationship with the coaches. Most youth sports coaches have the best intentions but let’s help them out by advocating for our kids along with them. Having that relationship will help you to also have an eye into whether or not the coach is perhaps sending your kid out when their body needs a break etc.
All of these things seem so doable but in some cases, it’s up to us as parents to ensure we are playing a critical role by educating our kids and advocating for them.
Mom, here are some awesome resources including how you can look into getting an athletic trainer to help support your child’s sports team.
- AtYourOwnRisk.org/youth-sports has information about sports specialization and a downloadable PDF with health and safety recommendations for specializing.
- Go4Ellis.com is a great resource for youth organizations looking to hire an athletic trainer for their games or tournaments.
- AtYourOwnRisk.org/the-role-of-parents has a downloadable checklist for questions that every parent should ask before their child starts in a sports program.
RELATED:
The Best Thing You can Do to Protect Your Child from Sports Injuries
