A pediatric sports injury, is when a child or adolescent receives an injury from participating in sports.There are several causes of pediatric sports injuries. Children tend to have a slow reaction time, which makes them more vulnerable to sports injuries. Sports injuries can also occur from not wearing proper protective gear, or from poor practice and training. Additionally, if a child doesn’t properly warm up or stretch before jumping into the game, he or she could become injured.

Common pediatric sports injuries include: sprains or strains, heat related, due to repetitive motion (overuse), or occur at the end of long bones (growth plate). Growth spurts can cause children to be more susceptible to bone injuries because during these times the bone loses its elasticity.
There are many ways to prevent pediatric sports injury. The child should always warm up and cool down thoroughly, eat a healthy diet, wear proper protective gear specific to the sport he or she is playing—like mouth guards, pads, athletic shoes, elbow guards and eye gear. A strength training program is also beneficial in injury prevention. If the child becomes injured, he or she should take a break from playing and ease back into the sport to prevent further injury.