By Dr. Matthew Kornswiet

Contributing Writer

September marks a favorite time of year for sports fans and athletes. Students have returned to school, and youth fall sports begin their seasons.

As a pediatrician and sports medicine physician who takes care of athletes with orthopedic injuries (bone, muscle, ligament, and tendon) and concussions, this is my busiest time of year.

My goal is to keep my patients and athletes on the field or court, and these are tips that I share with them at their annual physicals to prevent injuries and to help them be as productive as possible.

Make a plan

As the season begins, it is important to prepare. Start by slowly increasing the time and intensity of your training. Most injuries I see are overuse injuries that happen when athletes are ramping up too quickly or overtraining.

Begin with a re-focus on good technique and sports basics. For example, focus on jumping, running and squatting techniques, making sure to keep your hips, knees and ankles in a vertical line. This provides the best base for performance and makes our body a good spring to absorb force and prevent injuries.

Young athletes are growing every day and must learn to control their bigger bodies each sports season.

Take care of your body

The best athletes take the best care of their bodies. Sleep is the most important thing we do to care for our bodies, which means getting at least 8 to 10 hours of sleep nightly. Adequate sleep has been proven to reduce injuries and increase performance.

In addition, having at least one to two days off from sports each week allows your body to recover. A rule of thumb for maximum hours of organized sports time per week for youth athletes is the child’s age in years.

Finally, our mental health is crucial to our physical well-being. Take time to practice mindfulness techniques to allow your body to be at its best.

Even with proper preparation, injuries happen. An athlete should seek care when an injury is causing them to limp or change their form, hurts at a level four on a scale of one to 10, or if the location of pain can be pointed at with one finger. These could all be signs of more significant injuries.

Prepare for the heat

In the heat of late summer, it is important to be aware of heat illness. Heat illness happens more commonly in kids than in adults, and is a combination of dehydration, overexertion and hot temperatures. It also happens more often in the beginning of the seasons when athletes are out of shape.

To prevent heat illness, take frequent water breaks, especially on hot days. If you feel extremely tired, dizzy or lightheaded, get into the shade and drink water. If you see anyone having a change in personality or being confused, this is an emergency; call 911.

The fall season is my favorite time of year, as I’m sure it is for many young athletes. I hope these tips can help you have a fun, successful and safe season.

Matthew Kornswiet, DO, is a pediatrician and pediatric sports medicine physician in the Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) Primary Care Network.