May 7, 2018

#27 – Safety on a Soccer Field

"It is estimated that half of all sports-related injuries among children can be prevented. Protective equipment, safe playing conditions and the development and enforcement of safety rules help reduce the number and severity of sports injuries."

Sarah Cox

Who is Responsible for Safety in Youth Sports?

  • Players
  • Parents
  • Coaches
  • Referees
  • Host Org

Pre-Season

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    Be sure to be fit enough for the stresses of youth sports on the body and mind. If you need help addressing any of these items, seek help from a parent or coach.

In-Season

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    Hydrate the day before youth sports activities. Not only will you be able to maintain your body core temperature better, but you will help to prevent injuries, and keep your energy level high. See Episode #6 _The real and profound impact of dehydration on performance.
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    Protect your team mates and your opponents from injury. This means not doing anything that could put another player at risk.
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    Remove anything that might get caught or cut another player.
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    Wear all safety equipment as required or recommended by your club.
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    Pick your teammates up during games and practices. There is no good reason to let a fellow teammate get down on themselves for making mistakes. We all make mistakes - that's part of the growth process. If we're not making mistakes, we're not learning at our full capacity. Celebrate when others make mistakes - it shows that they are trying.
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    Communicate with parents and coaches. Don't assume everyone else will get stuff done for you.
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    Recover when needed - from after events - from after injuries - from whenever a head injury might be suspected.

Emotional Safety

We are come together in youth sports to push one another to succeed. To be successful, we must fail and make mistakes. It's up to all of us to ensure that the environment we create for our kids is one where it is safe to fail. Failures that are criticized or condemned are going to be avoided. Aversion to failure will result in kids not trying. This is the last thing we want. 

If every member of the youth sports community embraces the idea that it's okay - and even expected for failures to occur along the way to greatness, the culture will become a safe one in which kids strive to become the best they can become - without artificial limitations.  

This Episode is Sponsored In Part By...

The Damascus Soccer Club has been serving kids and their families from 3-18 years old in the Damascus, Clarksburg, and Germantown region of Maryland since 1988. Their motto is Character, Development, and Fun Through Youth Sports. 

The Club serves Academy (ages 3-6), Transition Academy (ages 7-8), Recreations (ages 9-18), Classic (ages 9-18), and Select Travel (ages 9-18). They are the Maryland partner with the Stoke City Potters and Global Image Sports, and offer ID and Development camps in the summer.

The Damascus Soccer Club co-owns two major tournaments in the Maryland area: August Cup and Rush for the Cup. 

You can find more information about registering for programs, camps, and tournaments at http://DamascusSoccer.org. 

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The Soccer Sidelines

Soccer Dad, Coach, and Club President who is devoted to developing kids and their families. With a diverse background in leadership in other settings, David is focused on empowering parents, players, and coaches to focus on the stuff that really matters in youth sports.

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