Focusing on one sport can lead to more injuries

Q. Most people worry about kids not exercising enough. But is it possible my child could be exercising too much?

A. What's of more concern than too much general exercise is children focusing primarily and consistently on one sport, says Dr. John Gaffney, assistant chief of the division of pediatric orthopedic surgery at Winthrop-University Hospital in Mineola.

"What we're seeing now is that children are tending to do one sport throughout the year," Gaffney says. In past generations, a child might do soccer in the fall, basketball in the winter and baseball in the spring. Each sport used a different muscle group. But now, in the hypercompetitive world of children's sports, kids are playing soccer or baseball year-round, and the muscles used for those sports aren't getting a rest, Gaffney says. The sports themselves also have evolved, with a sport like cheerleading, for instance, encompassing more gymnastic elements, he says.

"The injuries are not new, but the frequency is increasing," Gaffney says.

Parents need to be aware of children's complaints about pain and enforce rest so as not to cause permanent damage to the growth plates. Growth plates are the areas of cartilage within bones that contain the cells that make bones. They don't close until a boy is about 16 or a girl is about 15, he says.

Gaffney will talk more about the issue of "overuse" at a free seminar at 7 p.m. Feb. 10 at the Winthrop Community Outreach Center, 101 Mineola Blvd., Mineola. Reserve a spot by calling 877-559-KIDS.