Do’s and Don’ts for Fall Sports Prep

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It’s not too early for your child to start preparing for the fall sports season. At Texas Foot Specialists, we see many injuries in young athletes that could have been avoided with the proper pre-season conditioning. Below are some do’s and don’ts for ensuring that your child gets off to a great and safe start to the season.

Do: encourage your child to spend more time being active for the remainder of the summer. In general, youth spend too many hours in front of a screen. Activities don’t need to be formal or organized. Bike riding, swimming, hiking and even taking family walks after dinner are all good ways to get kids moving.

Do: make an appointment at our Sugar Land (281-242-4448), Pasadena (281-991-0600) or Houston (713-664-6677) office so that one of our podiatrists Dr. Bruce Miller or Dr. Gregory Mangum can examine your child’s feet and make sure there are no podiatric health concerns. The foot doctor will want to revisit old injuries and make sure that any chronic foot or ankle problems are being addressed. We can also make suggestions for shoe designs and ways to minimize the risk of sports injuries.

Don’t: assume your child’s shoes from last season are still good. Even if the shoes still fit, be sure to check them over for signs of wear: treads that are worn down, deteriorated arch support, stretched out heel counters and tears or holes. Run your hand around the inside of the shoes as well to check for loose stitching or rough spots that can cause friction and blisters.

Don’t: give your child hand-me-down sports shoes. To protect the health of your child’s feet it’s important that they have a pair of shoes that are designed for the sport they will be playing and that fit their unique feet. Shoes worn by others get imprinted with their particular foot and gait patterns.

Do: consider contacting your child’s coach for pre-season conditioning suggestions. Starting an intense workout after an inactive summer can lead to achilles tendonitis, shin splints and other overuse injuries.

If you have other questions about the health of your child’s feet and fitness activities, don’t hesitate to contact us.