Kids Links:

Brain Balance Centers

Woodland Hills Ice Skating

Highland Hall Waldorf School - Children are not rushed, but encouraged

Home » Kids

Kids

Hey Batter! Batter! Swing (without pain) Batter!
Little League Elbow and Baseball Overuse Injuries
By Staff Writer

America's favorite pastime continues to wield children into skilled little leaguers. Whether practicing the fundamentals of baseball or working on their throwing and swinging form, these young athletes are taking on a fitness regimen that patterns specific repetitive motions, particularly in their throwing arms and elbows. If not conditioned and rested properly, these overworked limbs could result in injury.

According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, in 2008, nearly 200,000 children aged 14 and younger, were treated in hospitals, doctor's offices and emergency rooms for baseball-related injuries. The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons recommends that baseball players practice proper form and avoid over-exertion to prevent baseball-related injuries. And parents and coaches must be alert to guidelines for healthy play or signs of pain and trouble.

"With youth baseball programs becoming more developed and competitive, it is not uncommon for little leaguers' bodies to become overworked," said orthopedic surgeon, Mark Pinto, MD. "It is great to see American youth be active and passionate about baseball. It's just important for us, as adults or coaches to monitor the time each player spends on the field, specifically in regards to the number of throws or pitches and to make sure they are using proper form when doing so."

To avoid being stuck in the dugout, the AAOS recommends the following tips to prevent youth baseball injury:

• Always take time to warm up and stretch before and after play. Research studies have shown that cold muscles are more prone to injury, specifically:
• If a child is pitching, he should concentrate on stretching his arm, shoulder and back muscles.
• If a child is catching, the focus should be on the legs and back.
• Children should not be encouraged to play through pain. It is important that they take breaks.
• Limit the number of teams on which your child is playing in one season. Kids who play on more than one team are especially at risk for overuse injuries.
• Wear a batting helmet at the plate, in the "on deck" circle waiting for your turn at bat, and during base running.
• Coaches must teach and allow practice of proper sliding techniques before using a bag, including breakaway bases. Players younger than 10 should not be taught to slide.
• Good communication between doctors, players, parents, and coaches is key to diagnosing and treating more significant baseball injuries. Young players may not be able to recall exactly how an injury happened or describe their symptoms in detail (they may even hide injuries because of concern about being removed from play).

My NapPak™
By Staff Writer

My NapPak™ Story: My NapPak™ was founded by Beth Clampitt in Dallas, Texas, in September 2001. Since most day care facilities only provide the bare necessities of a cot or plastic they encourage the parent to provide blankets. One day when picking her 18 month old son up for a mothers-day-out program, she realized that he was stuck to the mat from sweating and drooling and the blanket the he was using was twisted around his legs.

The school insisted that she could only bring one item for him to nap with. After a personal search for such a product for her child, she was unable to find satisfactory bedding. Convinced that there was a strong interest for a sleeping product that was all-in-one, comfortable, durable to handle weekly washings and kept the child from touching a mat that another child napped on the day before she decided to make them herself. Parents and schools responded enthusiastically to her design. My NapPak™ is versatile enough to use for a variety of situations - school and day-care, traveling and sleeping over a grandparents.

Beth was a single mom for several years and owned a graphic design and printing company. In 1997 she remarried and had a second child. Now she was able to sell her company and stay home with her children. After several years she felt something was missing "It was fun to be home with the kids, but I needed to do something for myself, I needed that extra pat on the back. It feels good to do something good for others, but it is not the same as doing something for your self."

My NapPak™ Facts:

• My NapPak™ is the all-in-one comforter, pillow and attached fleece blanket just for kids who take naps.
• My NapPak™ is 54" long by 24" wide with an oversized fleece blanket.
• The playful fabrics are 65% polyester and 35% cotton and are completely washable.
• My NapPak™ rolls up neatly with Velcro closures and a shoulder strap to make it easy to carry and store.
• My NapPak™ can be purchased on the website, www.mynappak.com for $55 including shipping and is available in a variety of fun theme patterns. Each My NapPak™ can be monogrammed for an additional cost. A complete list of retail stores is listed on their website:

back to top