In youth sports, the decision to play or not play is a common question. Trainers, parents, coaches, and kids themselves all need to learn when to “step up” or “sit down.” Being sidelined can be a frustrating endeavor for everyone involved. Players feel they are falling behind their teammates, parents fear they are missing out, and coaches are forced to take the field with fewer subs or less talent. Even though injuries can be frustrating, sometimes they are necessary. It’s important to approach a child’s youth sports career as a marathon, not a sprint. Children have brighter, bigger futures ahead of them. Playing through a serious injury at a young age is by no means heroic. It doesn’t characterize toughness. Playing through serious injuries as a child implies ignorance and lack of awareness. Letting a child play through a serious injuries means those involved in that child’s decision making process are losing site of the big picture. Win the marathon, not the sprint. Let your children be at their best, their healthiest, their sharpest when they have the maturity and awareness to make these types of decisions for themselves.
