Your Young Athlete’s Feet: How to Minimize the Risk of Injury

Now that Fairfax County schools have been back in session for a few weeks, all of us at Clifton Foot & Ankle Center hope your children are settling well into their new classes and finding extracurricular activities they love. If those activities include sports, sad to say, this may also include sports injuries.
It’s not their fault. Children who run cross-country or play field hockey, football, tennis, basketball, or soccer have all passed through our podiatry office doors with various injuries, including fractures, ankle sprains, contusions, and Achilles tendonitis. However, there are things you can do to minimize the risks that bench even the most experienced athletes:
- Get sport-specific shoes: There are many types of athletic shoes. Each type is designed with a specific sport’s typical movements in mind. So, sport-specific shoes (such as court shoes for tennis and soccer cleats for soccer) will best support and protect your child’s feet. Beware of “cross-trainer” shoes – it doesn’t mean they cross into all sports.
- Check your child’s shoe size often: Kid’s feet can grow at an alarming rate. Last spring’s running shoes may not fit her correctly for this fall’s cross-country season.
- Don’t rely on hand-me-downs: Athletic shoes conform to one’s feet and wear down quickly. When you hand them down, the younger sibling’s feet don’t get the protective benefits of a new pair. They’re losing out on proper cushioning and support. In addition, the shoes, already worn down, won’t last as long. Finally, old sneakers can harbor bacteria and fungi that are best left in the trash bin.
- Monitor their training hours: Practicing three or four hours a day may increase a team’s chances of winning, but it also greatly increases the chances of injury. Make sure your child’s coach knows that overtraining can cause overuse injuries like shin splints and damage to the heel’s growth plate.
Injuries do happen despite our best efforts to prevent them. Sitting out of a few games for weeks, or perhaps even the rest of the season, can devastate a child or teenager. Let our board-certified podiatrist, Dr. Kenneth R. Wilhelm, assess your child’s foot or ankle injury and get them back to active play as soon as possible. Contact us online or call (703) 996-3000 for an appointment at our office in Centreville, Virginia.