Tag Archives: sports

Sports physicals – it’s time

Your kids are on the move – literally, and all the time! If they are involved in a fall sport at school, then it’s time for their sports physical. Don’t forget that there is tremendous benefit to getting these physicals at your child’s pediatric office, rather than at a clinic or a school-sponsored physical day. The pediatrician has all your records including vaccinations, allergies, and your individualized and family medical history. He or she can discuss important sports information with you, including nutrition. And, of course, follow-up is always readily available, whether one week or six months from now. We are delighted to be working, with you as our partner, to make a medical home for your family here with us. If your child has a physical at a clinic or the school, that physical is not a part of our records, and we end up with an incomplete picture of his or her development and needs. Read our previous blog post for more reasons on why it’s wise to bring your child to the pediatrician when it’s time for a physical.

Younger children—don’t just focus on one sport

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Summertime is just around the corner, and it’s time for kids to be outside enjoying themselves. Organized sports are often a part of that. Whether you have big dreams for your child’s sports future (college scholarship, pro career) or she has dreams for herself, it’s important not to push too hard too soon. Doing so can cause injury and, perhaps more importantly, can decrease the all-important fun factor.

Most children love to play with a ball even before they can walk. As their bodies mature, they’ll enjoy learning to swim, running short distances, playing physical games like tag in the backyard. Activities like these are great for children’s physical health and for helping them grow into well-rounded people. Staying active prevents obesity, gives a boost to the immune system, improves mental outlook, and fosters the development of social skills (learning to play fair, settling disputes, taking turns, sharing).

Parents should be cautious by not encouraging a child to play one sport to the exclusion of others. Focusing on one sport, whether it’s swimming, soccer, baseball, gymnastics or something else, can lead to specific injuries. Swimmers may develop shoulder problems; gymnasts can damage joints; runners might get shin splints. Keeping a variety of physical activities in a young child’s life enables the whole body to develop, get stronger and more flexible, and decrease the risk for injury.

Eventually your child may decide to specialize in one sport, but doing so too early goes against the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness. There’s a great article on the subject here. It’s best for your child’s physical, mental and social development to generalize, try a lot of different sports and activities, and to simply have fun.

Batter up!

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Baseball is here for the summer, for kids of all ages. Grownups, too, for that matter. If you’ve ever had a pitcher in the family, you know that shoulder injuries are common, and if you’ve ever watched a slow motion video of a pitcher’s action, you can see why. It’s not an entirely natural motion, and done repetitively, it can cause injury. Pain and swelling may occur and sometimes even surgery is required if the damage is severe.

Little League Baseball has guidelines in place, designed to prevent injury. These rules govern both the number of pitches allowed per day, and the number of days rest required after pitching. You can read their entire list of pitching rules here.

Both the number of pitches and the number of rest days are regulated by age. Here is their list of pitching limits per day:

17-18 105 pitches per day

13-16 95 pitches per day

11-12 85 pitches per day

9-10 75 pitches per day

7-8 50 pitches per day

And the rest day requirements, again quoting from their website:

Pitchers league age 14 and under

• If a player pitches 66 or more pitches in a day, four calendar days of rest must be observed.

• If a player pitches 51-65 pitches in a day, three calendar days of rest must be observed.

• If a player pitches 36-50 pitches in a day, two calendar days of rest must be observed.

• If a player pitches 21-35 pitches in a day, one calendar day of rest must be observed.

• If a player pitches 1-20 pitches in a day, no calendar day of rest is required.

Pitchers league age 15-18

• If a player pitches 76 or more pitches in a day, four calendar days of rest must be observed.

• If a player pitches 61-75 pitches in a day, three calendar days of rest must be observed.

• If a player pitches 46-60 pitches in a day, two calendar days of rest must be observed.

• If a player pitches 31-45 pitches in a day, one calendar day of rest must be observed.

• If a player pitches 1-30 pitches in a day, no calendar day of rest is required.

A game official is required to keep the pitch counts for every pitcher in the game and to let the head umpire know when a pitcher has reached his/her limit.

For other notes on safety and required equipment for ALL baseball players at different positions, please read Little League’s equipment checklist here.

Fun and safety are the twins of any sport. Insuring your child’s safety and health increases the fun quotient!

Our own dietician on staff!

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Did you know that Georgetown Pediatrics has our very own dietician? Amy Crist has been with us for about 9 months and is available by appointment through our office.

Working part-time for us, Amy is a registered dietician (RD) with a master’s degree, has also worked at Georgetown Community hospital, and makes her home right here in Georgetown.

Amy loves working with infants, children, adolescents and their parents in developing healthy eating habits, including those who have dietary restrictions. She is a frequent speaker at local elementary schools to teach children about healthy eating and nutrition. She’s even led a support group on breast feeding. She is happy to have an appointment with you and your child or teen to discuss:

breast feeding,
dietary restrictions and planning as a result of disease or condition (diabetes, drug therapies, etc.),
concerns about weight or eating disorders,
helping the whole family develop healthy eating habits,
diet and sports,
picky eaters,
and anything else you want to talk over with a dietician.

Call our office and set up an appointment soon!

Amy Crist, our dietician

On-the-go eating

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Families today are scrunched with work, school, sports, activities, friends…and the list goes on. And while all of you want to make sure your child eats well, that can be hard when you’re running from place to place.

Here are a few QUICK! guidelines to help.

Stay aware. Know what your child is eating when.
Plan ahead. Think about the week’s activities when you’re shopping and save yourself extra trips to the grocery.
Eat together. Whenever you can, have a meal with your kids, even if it’s on the tailgate at the soccer field. Eating is a great time for catching up, and for bonding as a family.
Check it out. Is your child in a sport? Ask the coach if there are specific nutritional guidelines to avoid fatigue and help with energy levels.
Think “nutrition,” not just “fill them up.” Fast food isn’t evil, but a regular diet of it leads to obesity and doesn’t provide all they need. For about the same amount of money, or less, you can pack a healthier meal.
- Shelf-stable milk that doesn’t have to be refrigerated, string cheese, yogurt.
- Carrot sticks, broccoli florets, apples, grapes.
- Sandwiches on whole wheat bread.
- Do a little research. Not sure what your child needs, nutritionally speaking? Here’s the perfect web page from the American Academy of Pediatrics, giving that information for every age group.
- Let them help plan. Sit down with your child or teen one evening and plan some meals and snacks for the week. Use the internet to research healthy ideas. Make some things together, like an easy homemade granola.

It takes a little extra planning, but your family will be much healthier and happier with good nutrition under the belt!

Artwork by Kendall