My kid plays soccer year round. But he dabbles in most other sports. He has never sprained his ankle playing outdoor soccer. But he has already sprained his ankle twice playing basketball (which he has not played much, just one season at the YMCA rec league and sometime at school recess). From what I'm reading basketball has the highest rate of ankle sprains of all sports. I thought it would be good for him to do basketball to get in the cardio (and yes he enjoys it). But now I'm thinking its probably not worth doing "just for fun" if he's going to be getting, let's estimate, one ankle sprain per year from basketball. Maybe we'll focus more on baseball and tennis as the ancillary sports to soccer. What do you think? Nix basketball? I know what people will say... "What does HE want to do?" He likes basketball/baseball/tennis/etc, but he likes soccer the most. He's not asking me to sign him up for basketball but he had fun doing it at the YMCA. But he won't care if I don't sign him up again. But he does need other activities to do that get the body moving. Or maybe ankle sprains are just "not that big of deal"?
Basketball is one of the best complimentary sports to soccer, let the boy play. He likely just had some bad luck with the sprains.
Thanks but that doesn't really address my concerns, namely that repeated sprains will weaken the ligaments of the ankle. If soccer is one's main sport then why play a side sport that is going to hurt your ability to play your main sport. Also if he sprains his ankle from basketball it takes him out of soccer for a couple weeks, missing practice and games. But I do agree that its a great sport. The spacing, the passing, defense, teamwork, the footwork, the running, coordination, etc etc. But I'm having second thoughts about it for the ankle sprain risk. I also don't like that its so biased towards tall people. This is what makes it a far inferior sport to soccer. Any height can excel in soccer. I think avg height is about 5'11 (pro), but the avg height for NBA is about 6'6". There is a 6th grader at an elementary school around here that is 6'2". Imagine playing on your 6th grade team and facing a 6'2 kid. ridiculous. this is a big drawback of the sport.
It's possible he has weak ankles or it's possible he didn't have good shoes. He's 10, right? And you want to eliminate a sport? I know kids who tore ACLs at soccer practice (as HS Freshman). What does the doctor say about your concerns? Did you ASK the doctor? Keep in mind, you have what, maybe 10-12 kids on a basketball team? One ankle sprain, and that's 10%. Soccer, you end up with 15-20. One ankle sprain and that's 6%. So yes, I would totally believe basketball has a higher RATE, because your pool is smaller. DS only gave up basketball when it overlapped with club soccer and the basketball coaches wanted that sport to be the number one priority. ETA: You say he likes soccer "more". Maybe he's reading that from you though.
Didn't go to doctor. Appears to be a Grade 1 sprain. I already know what the doc would say: ice, rest, etc. I think also, the physics of the shoe+foot are why there are more sprains in basketball. The foot sits up higher due to thicker sole. So more risk of a severe twist of the foot. Whereas in soccer the sole is thin and the foot sinks a bit into the ground. So less risk. But more ACL risk as the foot is more anchored to the ground than in basketball, so the wrong twist motion and there goes your ACL. Well I ask him if he wants to go to tryouts for another year and he said yes. He likes his team. They have fun. It hasn't gotten too serious yet. They aren't really aware of table rankings and stuff; they don't care about that; they just want to win the game they are in at the moment. Basketball is too elitist in the sense that you have to be a freak of biology to go pro. Tall and big wingspan. Soccer or baseball is better for the avg person.
If that's your worry, just buy him a pair of Chuck Tayor's. From what I remember they're completely flat on the inside. https://www.converse.com/shop/p/chu...r_3J231MP_color=black&styleNo=3J231&cgid=kids My DS wears his indoor soccer shoes to play basketball. I don't see the point in buying special shoes when these do just fine for both sports.
Whoa I just googled "most dangerous youth sports" and guess what... "Basketball, skateboarding and football are the most dangerous sports overall" Screw that! Goodbye basketball. Hello baseball, tennis, swimming, and.... short track speed skating if I can find it. That just looks fun. Someone needs to invent a new sport that is safer but also uses a lot of the same skills and cardio. Rugby, lacrosse? too dangerous.
That's funny. Your link shows soccer (1569/100,000) has a higher injury rate than basketball (1554/100,000). Looking at another site (https://onlinemasters.ohio.edu/blog/a-closer-look-at-youth-sports-injuries/) shows boys (145,215) and girls (190,436) had more injuries during the 2016-2017 season than basketball (88,927). Yet another site (https://onlinemasters.ohio.edu/blog...verall injury rate is,boys' basketball (1.54).) lists concussions as the #1 injury reported (~25%). Guess which sports have the most concussions? Football, followed by boy/girls soccer. So I guess soccer is out now. If you don't want your kid to play basketball, that's fine. I don't think it's realistic to use injury stats as an excuse though.
I get the idea you way over think things. If he wants to play basketball let him play basketball. Are you really going to analyze injury statistics to allow him to play or not? Jeez. Don't take this the wrong way, but you come across as over bearing and far more involved than you need to be. Maybe you don't need to be a helicopter pilot.
Futsal is great as well. My kids have played basketball and soccer, far less injuries on the hardwood but it's sports you will get injured at some point. Maybe check his shoes or look at his mechanics while playing. But if you fear basketball is too elitist because it's easier to be tall it might not be the sport for you. If you look at studies, tall people (maybe not freakishly tall) are more likely to get promoted in their careers too. Maybe basketball is just the life lesson he needs to fight through the road bumps. But I stand with my stance of let him play basketball if he wants.
I think the first time he did a layup and came down and got tangled up with another kid. The other time I wasn't there, he said a kid tripped him on the court at school. From what I can tell, at the youth level there are more ankle sprains (ie not ACL tears), but at the teen level is where the knee injuries start increasing. Physics. The more weight and speed, the more force. You need a certain amount of force to tear a knee ligament or miniscus and a 60lb kid typically will not generate that kind of force. I was gung ho on basketball a year ago. Great cardio and overall good dynamics for athleticism. I didn't realize the ankle sprain risk until a couple weeks ago, it hit me.
Yeah I wasn't comparing basketball to soccer. Soccer is the main sport. My point is that you should not take on a high injury side sport that might take you out of your main sport. You only have so many injuries one can sustain. Best to allocate those injuries to your main sport. At the youth level I don't see many injuries in soccer. Starts in the teens. Might see the occasional ankle sprain but even that is rare. Mostly just bruises or very slight sprains. So yeah, my complaint is not about overall injuries. I accept there will be injuries in all sports. It's about what sport do you want to allocate your injuries to.
Guilty as charged Yes, I will analyze injury stats. I just did. lol He had to miss a soccer game because he got an ankle sprain playing basketball. You think that's ok? No it's not. Kids play wrecklessly.
Sort of. Indoor soccer is 15 mins away. But futsal is 30 mins away. So we mostly do indoor. But I wish futsal were closer. I wish the nearby school or ymca gyms setup futsal there. People here don't really get it.
Um, yes it is. It happens. Missing a game (or heaven forbid two), especially at that age, IS "ok". I mean, none of us wants to see our kids hurt or in pain. And none want us to see our kids miss activities, but yes, it's ok. DS first concussion was in soccer at age 10. 8am cold morning and tries to head a punt (before that was outlawed). He missed the rest of the weekend. And yes, I wanted to get him back on the pitch, but it's really not that important.
Really? You stated basketball was one of the worst sports for injuries. Even though your link doesn't say that.
Its ok if it's due to a soccer injury. But missing soccer due to a basketball injury because some wreckless kid tripped him. not ok
Here are some direct quotes from the article: Basketball, skateboarding and football are the most dangerous sports overall Basketball has the most injuries overall I just copy and pasted these. What do you think of tennis Sam?
Here's what I was commenting on from the same article... As I've said before, if my kids wanted to do it, we could logistically and financially handle it, they got to do it. They never even asked about tennis. DS would have continued basketball but coaches wanted their sport to have priority. Some of DD's club teammates also play on their HS tennis team. As far as the sport itself, it takes a long time (some would say the same about soccer). Lots of running, strategy, and need more upper body strength. I'd have no problem with it.
There are myriad reasons why kids miss soccer matches. IMO, it's fine. Even professionals miss matches, whether for injuries or personal events. And as central as soccer is to my DS's life, there is more to life than soccer. My DS will miss a soccer match this season for a piano recital. He's not happy about it, but he has three recitals a year and only one conflicts with a game. Life goes on. As parents, we have to manage our children. I have to make sure that his body gets some rest. I am going to make sure he gets at least two weeks off this summer (probably too little, but I think he gets time off in December, too). I have to make sure that his brain is engaged in school and that he is at least exposed to something approximating real life. That's why I make sure that on tournament weekends we try to appreciate where we travel to, not just treat it as another hotel pool in another anonymous town with the same chain restaurants that you can find everywhere. These kids learn that the world revolves around them because we spend our whole lives in the orbit of them and their soccer. That isn't healthy. We the parents have to help them find balance, including by having priorities that sometimes take precedence over soccer.
I think a piano recital is worth missing a game for; moreso than a rec basketball game. Sounds like a well-rounded kid!
What other activities are you going to stop your kid from doing because of risk of injury? Climbing on a jungle gym/tree? He could fall and break a bone. Skateboarding? Biking? Tell his PE teacher at school, he's not allowed to participate?
I really shouldn't, but I heard the helicopter setting down somewhere around here... There is no reason to stop your child from playing other sports. Injuries happen anywhere at any time. Three of my kids never had any issues, the other fractured multiple bones, tore ligaments and muscles, and had several concussions. Guess which one played D1 soccer and could have played professionally? Not the healthy ones.