Many children and parents alike eagerly look forward to the child playing school sports. Regardless of the sport, this type of team participation can create amazing memories, build character, result in lifelong friendships and enrich your child’s life in other ways. However, many children are injured playing school sports each year, and some of these injuries are very serious. These safety tips will help you to prepare for the upcoming school year.
Schedule a Physical Exam Annually
Many schools require parents to get a physical form signed by a physician each year before the child can participate, but this is not a universal requirement. In addition, most school physical exams are cursory and may not be as in-depth as you would like them to be. Rather than schedule a school physical exam, schedule your child’s full wellness exam. At this more thorough exam appointment, ask the physician to sign the school’s forms.
Watch a Few Practices
In some cases, injuries occur in school sports because the children were not adequately protected in different ways. For example, dehydration may be a concern when children are participating in sports without an adequate supply of water available or without a reasonable number of water breaks. Injuries may also occur because safety gear was not available, was not in good condition or was not required to be worn. When you spend a few hours watching your child’s sports practices from time to time, you can ensure that all steps are being taken to keep your child as safe as possible.
Have a Plan to Deal with Injuries
School sports can be dangerous. Even when you take these precautions, your child may still be injured. It is important that you have a reasonable health insurance policy available as well as funds available to pay the deductible as needed. In the event that the accident could have been avoided, consider the need to hire a personal injury attorney. A personal injury attorney like Spooner & Perkins P.C. Attorneys at Law may help you to obtain compensation for injuries that may have been caused by negligence or by intentional actions. You may also consult with them to find out what you should be looking out for.
Keeping your child safe is a constant goal. When your child plays school sports, the risk of injury can increase substantially. While many children play school sports for years without suffering an injury, parents should follow these safety reminders so that they can keep their child reasonably safe and so that they have a plan of action in the event an injury does occur.
