With the fall sports season still ongoing in many high schools across the country, it’s important to continue to look at some of the injury risks posed by various activities and what can be done by parents, coaches, and players to reduce potential harm. A new report looks at the common injuries faced by girls’ volleyball players, and understanding the information is vital to figuring out a method of exercise that can prevent these injuries from happening in the first place.
As the report notes, about four in five of the injuries associated with this sport are the result of overuse. Athletes are in that age range where they might think pushing past the pain is the right thing to do, and a coach or a parent thus isn’t alerted when pain initially rears its head.
Try to impress upon players how important it is to speak up when soreness and other types of pain are apparent. In some cases, this shouldn’t even wait until the end of a match. When a stepping movement creates pain in a player’s legs, or hitting the ball causes soreness in a player’s elbows and other joints, she needs to get that issue seen to by a trainer right away. Ice and rest may be able to stave off a more serious injury.
Considering the wide range of motion players are putting their arms through in this sport, it’s not surprising to find out that injuries to the rotator cuff are quite common. The risk of this becomes greater when a player’s spiking or serving motions aren’t in good form. Working on technique can keep these types of injuries at bay.
If, however, the pain isn’t progressive but rather a sudden jolting sensation, this could be a sign of a rupture, and such an injury requires immediate attention.
A player’s hands are also going to be in danger given how they’re going to be striking the volleyball repeatedly from all angles and at different speeds. Teaching players the proper way to splay one’s fingers and hands while at play can reduce the risk of an injury, and again, seeking treatment immediately can prevent the more serious damage that might occur if an athlete plays through the pain.
Finally, be aware of the threat posed to the knee. An issue called jumper’s knee is a type of tendonitis affecting the patella tendon that connects the shin to the kneecap. Repeatedly jumping up and down on a hard surface contributes to this, and coaches should strive to emphasize appropriate jumping technique to limit exposure to this type of injury as well as damage that can affect the ACL.
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