Junior A hle es: Elite
Part 2
Jane Kilkenny
W
e have seen a major shift to early sport specialization which can be detrimental to long term development and success for young athletes. While talented juniors are eager to progress quickly, simply increasing their training loads will not produce the best results. This is a recipe for increased injury risk and burnout. The May/June edition of Great Health GuideTM, Elite Junior Athletes: Part 1, discussed the three most important aspects for junior athletes’ performance, that are load management, training, and strength. In Part 2, injury management, recovery strategies and nutrition are discussed. Professional sports now rely on a myriad of components including a team of coaches, strength and conditioning specialists, sports physicians, physiotherapists, massage therapists, sports psychologists and dieticians. In the professional 46 | GREAT HEALTH GUIDE
environment this is common practice however for junior athletes these services are now becoming more accessible with the growth of multidisciplinary sports medicine clinics. 1. Injury Management: Sports medicine is very different from general practice medicine. Paediatric sports medicine is also unique, so it’s important to find a practitioner that is experienced in dealing with injuries specific to junior athletes. There are many issues that are growth related, such as Osgood Schlatters and Sever’s disease. These conditions are painful but when managed appropriately do not have long term implications for growing bodies. A crucial aspect of junior athlete development is teaching the child to manage their bodies effectively, speaking out when something doesn’t feel right, SUBSCRIBE
