Lose the Pressure and Let Them Play

By Donna Stark

My daughter just signed up for her high school track team last month. She was really excited for the season to start because this would have been her first time back participating in sport after a two-year recovery from a serious injury she sustained while playing soccer. Those months of healing were long, and truth be told, we were all looking forward to her getting back to what she loved ... being an athlete. But our excitement and hopes were dashed during the first week of practice. Literally, on the third day. We had an unexpected cold front come through and I can only guess that she did not warm up properly, because by the end of the night, she could barely walk.

When to Stop Pressuring

Needless to say, my sweet daughter was out for a couple of more weeks with a pulled muscle that really took its time to heal. And during those weeks, we felt the pressure to get her back out as soon as we could. But she wasn't ready, and we had to fight the urge to rush the healing process. I am sure that many parents feel the same way, but as we all know, rushing the process doesn't help our children. Here are some tips that can help us decide when the pushing and pressuring need to stop. Take a look.

• When winning is more important - We live in a very competitive world, and if you want to see the worst of parents, head out to any local field on a Saturday morning. It's important to remember that the sport your child is involved in is just a game. Kids just want to have fun, and when the pressure to win is removed, they are in a much better position to have a positive experience.
• When safety comes second - There's a fine line between playing through pain and playing through serious pain, and if your child sustains a concussion, a pulled muscle, or a fracture, they need to come out! It's important to be able to read your child and their behaviors because many kids will want to continue staying in the game. Teach them and yourself the red flags of injuries!
• When life consists of training, and more training, and even more training - Less is sometimes more when it comes to training. Overuse injuries are becoming extremely common with children who spend hour after hour training for their sport, so let them slow down. They may even start to enjoy it more!

It's All About Balance

Training, competitions, sleep, school ... it's definitely a hard balance to strike with everything that your child is involved in, but the most important thing to take from this is how to keep your child healthy and happy. Keep an eye out for those red flags, and until they pop up, enjoy the game!

To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Chino Hills, Calif.