WASHINGTON, April 22 (UPI) -- Only 29 percent of U.S. parents surveyed say the coaches of their children have the necessary skills to identify and prevent injuries, a survey indicates.
The survey, commissioned by Safe Kids USA and Johnson & Johnson, indicates 88 percent of parents say their young athletes should wear properly fitted equipment, 85 percent say student athletes should drink fluids regularly, 76 say their children should warm up before playing and 73 percent say children should take the same precautions when practicing as when playing in a game.
About 3.5 million children age 14 and under are treated for sports-related injuries annually, and half may be preventable, Safe Kids USA officials say.
Johnson & Johnson and Safe Kids USA's coalitions say they will host more than 100 free sports safety clinics nationwide for parents, coaches and young athletes from April through this summer, as well as a free Youth Sports Safety Webcast May 2, at noon EDT to teach how to keep children safe in sports. More information is online at www.safekids.org/sports.
"Parents and coaches have a very important role to play in keeping children safe and injury free," Dr. Angela Mickalide, director of research and programs at Safe Kids Worldwide, says in a statement. "It begins with having the right attitude and realistic expectations for children about sports."
The telephone survey of 751 parents of athletes ages 5-14 was conducted by Hart Research Associates. No margin of error was provided.
