By Matt Humpert, ATC, SMMC SportsCare  

Teaching young athletes to take care of their bodies when they are just starting to become active in a sport can pay huge dividends later on in their athletic careers.  This starts with emphasizing a warm-up and stretching routine before every practice or game. Even just having them start with a light jog around the court a few times followed by some basic stretching to hit the major muscle groups will reduce the risk of injury. This also can be a great time to talk to the athletes about injury prevention, or about the importance of icing sore muscles or joints after a hard practice. It also can be a time for the coach to go over the practice schedule for the day, and that way the time used for stretching is not devoid of learning.

Areas of the body to stretch before activities.

Legs

Hamstrings

Quad

Calf muscle

Upper body

Triceps

Biceps

Chest muscles

Shoulders

Low back/hips

Lumbar stretches

Groin

There are many different ways to target these areas. The best idea is for each coaching staff to design stretches they would like to see used. Next, teach the captains of the team the stretches, and when the first practice takes place, take a few minutes and go over the routine with the whole team and stress the importance of a proper warm-up. At the next practice, have the captains of the team, or select different players every week, to lead the team in a warm-up. It can also be beneficial to have a stretching routine at the end of a practice or game session also.