Basketball Injuries

Because we do care

At Uptempo Hoops, our focus is the young athletes which represent our organization.  We invest time and money into these kids.  Moreover, we feel emotional investment in every player.  Their well being and safety is always a top priority for every parent, staff member and coach.  Often we take it for granted, believing they are young and resilient and can heal fast.  Even with all the care we give our kids, in every sport there is the risk of injury.  Uptempo Hoops wouldn't be who we are if we didn't take this into consideration when working with our children.  Part of our responsibility is to educate.

Some of our female athletes enjoying beautiful weather during the UH picnic

A wonderful website which discusses injuries specific to basketball and kids is:

http://www.stopsportsinjuries.org/basketball-injury-prevention.aspx

Please take the time to visit this website and find out what can be done at home to ensure the safety and health of your child. 

From this website comes some valuable information:

How can basketball injuries be prevented?

Have a pre-season physical examination and follow your doctor's recommendations for basketball injury prevention

Hydrate adequately - waiting until you are thirsty is often too late to hydrate properly

Pay attention to environmental recommendations, especially in relation to excessively hot and humid weather, to help avoid heat illness

Maintain proper fitness - injury rates are higher in athletes who have not adequately prepared physically

After a period of inactivity, progress gradually back to full-contact basketball through activities such as aerobic conditioning, strength training, and agility training.

Avoid overuse injuries - more is not always better! Many sports medicine specialists believe that it is beneficial to take at least one season off each year. Try to avoid the pressure that is now exerted on many young athletes to over-train. Listen to your body and decrease training time and intensity if pain or discomfort develops. This will reduce the risk of injury and help avoid "burn-out."

Talk with your coach and/or athletic trainer about an ACL injury prevention program and incorporating the training principles into team warm-ups

The athlete should return to play only when clearance is granted by a health care professional.

One very important tip, which we recommend is to speak to the child about injury prevention and listen to him/her when they are feeling pain.  Communication is key. 

UH 6th Grade Team United at Rocklin, CA

Another website which focusses on ACL injury prevention is:

http://mydoctor.kaiserpermanente.org/ncal/acl/

This includes exercises and techniques. 

Again, UH believes in protecting our children from every possible angle.  We will continue to publish valuable information to our families.  Our coaches will continue to take every measure to protect these athletes.  Our staff will continue to support both the child and the family.