2008 Woodie Awards
Young athletes plagued by injuries
Cynthia Billhartz Gregorian / St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Issue date: 1/21/08 Section: Sports
Elaine Gill, 16, wanted to run faster. So she started running more. A lot more.
Sometimes she'd run 50 miles a week.
At first the extra miles paid off, and Elaine cut several minutes off her 5K cross country time. Then, during a race, a bone in her foot broke. Now, she can't run at all.
Such is the plight of a growing number of athletes, both male and female, who train their young bodies past the point of diminishing returns and right into injuries. The American Academy of Pediatrics estimates that more than 30 million children and teens participate in organized sports each year. Of those, about 3.5 million seek treatment for overuse injuries and chronic fatigue from overtraining. Though no data exist, local sports medicine specialists say they've seen a steady increase in the number of injured and over-trained athletes between ages 8 and 18 by as much as 25 percent in recent years.
Experts attribute that increase to more and more children specializing in only one sport and playing it year-round for school, select and traveling teams. That leaves no down time for rest and repair.
Sometimes, experts point out, it's because parents and coaches put pressure on children to excel. But kids often put the pressure on themselves. Elaine, a sophomore at Gateway Academy in Chesterfield, created her own high-mileage program to supplement workouts with her track and cross-country teams at school.
"I really have a fixation on doing the best I possibly can, whether it's (academically), running or cheerleading. And this is one of those things I felt like I could do better," Elaine said.
Steve Stahle, primary care sports medicine physician at U.S. Center for Sports Medicine in Kirkwood, MO, said that in addition to the typical musculoskeletal injuries, kids are also susceptible to growth plate injuries. "You can strengthen your muscles, but you can't strengthen your growth plate," Stahle said. An overdeveloped muscle will pull on the slower growing, soft-tissue plates, increasing the risk of injury.
Sometimes she'd run 50 miles a week.
At first the extra miles paid off, and Elaine cut several minutes off her 5K cross country time. Then, during a race, a bone in her foot broke. Now, she can't run at all.
Such is the plight of a growing number of athletes, both male and female, who train their young bodies past the point of diminishing returns and right into injuries. The American Academy of Pediatrics estimates that more than 30 million children and teens participate in organized sports each year. Of those, about 3.5 million seek treatment for overuse injuries and chronic fatigue from overtraining. Though no data exist, local sports medicine specialists say they've seen a steady increase in the number of injured and over-trained athletes between ages 8 and 18 by as much as 25 percent in recent years.
Experts attribute that increase to more and more children specializing in only one sport and playing it year-round for school, select and traveling teams. That leaves no down time for rest and repair.
Sometimes, experts point out, it's because parents and coaches put pressure on children to excel. But kids often put the pressure on themselves. Elaine, a sophomore at Gateway Academy in Chesterfield, created her own high-mileage program to supplement workouts with her track and cross-country teams at school.
"I really have a fixation on doing the best I possibly can, whether it's (academically), running or cheerleading. And this is one of those things I felt like I could do better," Elaine said.
Steve Stahle, primary care sports medicine physician at U.S. Center for Sports Medicine in Kirkwood, MO, said that in addition to the typical musculoskeletal injuries, kids are also susceptible to growth plate injuries. "You can strengthen your muscles, but you can't strengthen your growth plate," Stahle said. An overdeveloped muscle will pull on the slower growing, soft-tissue plates, increasing the risk of injury.
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