With many school districts already back in session, students have begun to practice for upcoming games and competitions in earnest. However, with hot weather still very much a factor, this is perhaps the most important time of the year to focus on safety. Children need to be eased into a sport rather than pushed to their breaking point immediately. To that end, students might look to the tips on hand in a new report for guidance on how to remain safe while participating in school sports.
First, students must understand the importance of proper conditioning, especially at the beginning of the fall season. You’re going to want to get your body ready for the challenges that lie ahead. Any conditioning you take part in should give you ample exercise without making you feel miserable. As the season and the year progress, it’s acceptable to slowly ratchet up the intensity, but for now, it’s best to take things easy and work up to harder challenges.
You also have to be willing to give yourself plenty of rest between practices and games. This is particularly important if you’ve taken a good chunk of the summer off from strenuous activity. One day per week without exercise is the absolute minimum for activity-free days, and you should take even more time off than that if your body succumbs to pain, numbness, or weakness.
Conditioning goes hand in hand with stretching. You shouldn’t run or otherwise take part in a physically grueling activity until you’ve given your muscles an adequate amount of time to stretch. You can get yourself ready for the new year by stretching throughout the summer, but if school has already started up, make sure to ask a physical trainer or a coach about the proper stretch regimen.
Although the nature of fall sports is such that everyone is going to be competing, whether for spots on the team or to beat an opposing team, students also have to realize that other people might be better than them due to simple development. It might take a couple years before your body is capable of lifting heavier loads or running greater distances. Pushing yourself is unacceptable if it forces you to endure intense pain or exhaustion, as all you’ll end up doing is burning out or getting hurt.
Finally, tread lightly when it comes to weight training. Many students get pushed into weight training for the first time when they enter high school, but it’s important that such persons know the proper way to lift. Coaches should strive to get athletes to perfect their technique, and athletes shouldn’t lift more than they’re capable of. A qualified trainer or school official must be on hand at all times to monitor the weight room.
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