Nearly 2.6 million children are seen in the ER every year due to sports related injuries. On top of that, 5 million teeth are knocked out every year in sports. April is Youth Sports Safety Month and National Facial Protection month. Take the time to review these sports safety tips and take the pledge to play it safe this season!
Parent, coach or athlete - make a commitment to safety this year with these rules:
- Before each season or school year, make sure each athlete receives a pre-participation exam by a doctor.
- Preach and follow the rules. When all players know the rules and follow them, fewer injuries occur.
- Use the appropriate equipment for your size/sport and know when to replace your equipment. A chewed up mouth guard or a cracked helmet is not going to protect effectively.
- Stay hydrated. To be safe, you should hydrate before, after and during practices and games.
- Don't over do it. Athletes might feel the need to over use their muscles in order to keep up with the competition. Properly stretching, warming up and cooling down will help minimize injuries.
- Coaches should be CPR/First Aid Certified and know how to spot a concussion and other common athletic injuries. Athletes often downplay their injuries in order to avoid being benched. Listen to your body and remember, "when in doubt - sit it out."
Despite inscreased awareness, every year athletes die while playing sports. In fact, an average of 12 high school and college football players die every year. We are not OK with that and are determined to bring that number. Take the pledge with us to play it safe this year.
I pledge to #PlayItSafe during sports [Click To Tweet] 
