Most parents want their children to be involved in sports. But how do they react when their children get into sports injuries?
Linda Gemelos knew just how it feels since her daughter Jacki is now a professional basketball player in Italy. But before her daughter got in the league, she spent almost all of her entire college years in rehabilitation for injuries sustained as a high school basketball star. Gemelos said she could not find the words to describe how it felt every time her daughter got injured.
The same thing is true for Julie Marvel, whose son James required surgery after ripping his pitching arm in 2014. Her son broke his leg in Grade 8 while playing, and this has resulted in a domino effect of injuries including back fracture and leg pains. He was determined to get a scholarship in college so he continued playing despite the injuries.
Parents have different reactions when their children sustain a serious sports injury, according to ESPN. It is understandable for parents to get anxious, especially when these injuries could have an impact not only on the child's physical functions but also his future. But the challenge is whether or not to discourage the child from engaging in more sports activities, considering the consequences of such decision.
"We never advised her to stop or start; we let her figure that out on her own," Gemelos said. "But it was very hard for me personally, because I wanted her to stop. Not after the first one, but maybe after the third. And it got harder every time it happened."
Around 30 million children and teens in the United States engage in organized sports. On the other hand, 3.5 million injuries are experienced every year by these children, as per Hopkins Medicine. Almost one-third of childhood injuries are said to be related to sports, with strains and sprains listed as the most common.
Children have become so competitive in sports that instead of spending summers with their families, they now spend it traveling for sports tournaments. Some parents and athlete would go for quick recovery after an injury instead of undergoing the treatment protocol. Experts involved in sports injuries treatment are concerned about how parents and athletes would accept the realities of sports injuries, according to Mom Steam.
