The BMS Beacon (Oct. 2, 2026)
Drawing Maps
Learning Probability
Expanding Arguments
Middle Matters is a monthly installment in the newsletter that covers topics that are pertinent to middle school parents. These could be helpful tips, a heads up about things we hear in the halls or trends we see online, etc. We know raising preteens and teenagers is not an easy task, and it truly takes a village. We're honored to be part of that village and that journey.
This year, I want to tap into the awesome wealth of knowledge we have amongst our Beach parents. This month's "Middle Matters" is brought to you by Dr. Eileen Crawford, an associate professor of Orthopedic Surgery and Sports Medicine at the University of Michigan.
If you have a particular topic of interest and expertise that you'd be interested to share with our community in a "Middle Matters" piece, please shoot me an email!
With fall sports in full swing, athletic injuries are on the rise again. Sports participation brings so many benefits to your child – physical fitness, confidence, resilience, and social connection to name a few – but the risk of injury is ever present. Knowing how to prevent avoidable injuries and how to respond when an injury happens can help you keep your student-athlete doing the sports they love to do.
What can I do to reduce the risk of injury?
- Strengthen the Core – A strong core is crucial to having good body mechanics during the complex and repetitive maneuvers performed during sports. Body weight exercises to strengthen the abdominal, back, and hip muscles are safe for kids of all ages and don’t require weights or special equipment.
- Promote Flexibility and Balance – Stretching is especially important for growing kids and those who have just passed their growth spurt. The tendons get tight as they grow and can limit optimal joint movement. Balance exercises teach the muscles to keep the body stable when jumping, changing direction, and getting jostled by another player.
- Engage in Sports Sampling – Growing bodies need exposure to different types of movements and sports to fully develop the connections between the brain, nerves, and muscles. Encourage your student-athlete to play different sports throughout the year and wait to focus on a single sport until high school.
- Take the Medical Recommendations Seriously – Maximum pitch counts, concussion protocols, age restrictions on tackle football, extreme weather rules, etc. have all been researched and developed to protect your student-athlete from injury. Don’t tolerate a coach who disregards them.
What injuries need urgent attention?
- ER Visit – A trip to the Emergency Department is warranted if your child experiences loss of consciousness (even brief), seizure, severe or worsening headache, difficulty breathing or swallowing, chest pain, abdominal pain, blood in the urine or stool, problems with vision, knocked out teeth, vomiting from a sports injury, or deformity or paralysis of the arm or leg.
- Urgent Care or Prompt Pediatrician Visit – Going to an urgent care clinic or seeing the pediatrician within 72 hours is appropriate for a concussion without loss of consciousness or neck pain, inability to put weight on a leg, notable swelling of a joint, inability to fully move a joint, numbness or tingling that does not improve with changing positions, pain that is getting worse with time.
- Start with RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) – pain that is only present during sports, pain that came on gradually, muscular pain. If the pain doesn’t improve with these methods or it returns when sports are resumed, seek medical attention from your child’s pediatrician or a sports medicine provider.
Dos and Don’ts of Youth Sports Injuries
DO…
- Check in frequently with your child on the status of their symptoms and their mental health.
- Talk to your child’s Athletic Trainer about their injury and recovery needs.
- Stay positive and calm – your child will take cues from your reaction.
- Get answers to your questions from a medical provider.
- Get a 2nd opinion if something doesn’t feel right.
DON’T…
- Go too deep into a Google search or AI analysis – it’s easy to get misleading or worst-case scenario information this way. Get a diagnosis from a medical provider first.
- Put too much stock in the experiences of others – the same injury or same diagnosis may need to be handled differently in different kids.
- Let the coach pressure your child to return before they’re ready.
- Let your child return to a game or practice after a concussion until they have been evaluated by a medical provider. It’s against the law.
The American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) developed the STOP Sports Injuries program for youth athletes. This resource provides sport-specific and injury-specific information for student-athletes and their caregivers.
Read more about it here: STOP Sports Injuries: Youth Injury Prevention and Treatment | AOSSM
