NEW YORK, Feb. 22 (UPI) -- Sports doctors are seeing a big increase in injuries to young athletes, which they blame on an overaggressive culture of organized youth sports.
"They are overuse injuries pure and simple," says James Andrews, a nationally prominent sports orthopedist. "You get a kid on the operating table and you say to yourself, 'It's impossible for a 13-year-old to have this kind of wear and tear.' We've got an epidemic going on."
Typical injuries range from stress fractures, growth plate disorders, cracked kneecaps and frayed heel tendons to a back condition brought on by excessive flexing, the New York Times reports. Most are injuries once seen only in adults.
One pioneer in the field of treating youth sports at Boston Children's Hospital says overuse injuries now represent 70 percent of the cases he sees.
The newspaper blamed the specialization in one sport at an early age and the year-round, almost manic, training for it that often follows. One orthopedic surgeon also blamed parents who push their children to excess in pursuit of college scholarships or the dream of a professional sports career.
The experts advocate several changes beginning with stopping year-round play in one sport and better training of coaches. The doctors also said participation in sports should be encouraged, but with certain precautions.
"I agree there are more overuse injuries, but I am still more worried about the high rate of inactivity and obesity in children," said Dr. William O. Roberts, president of the American College of Sports Medicine. "We need more kids to do a lot more and a few kids to do a little less."
