It's August and everyone knows what's right around the corner - fall sports. How one reads and internalizes those two words can vary wildly from person to person. For a college football fan, fall sports means a month-long block of Saturdays spent watching their favorite teams, attending games and doing some serious tailgating. 

For parents, it dredges up reminders of after school practices and weekend games. And for TV fans, it means your favorite programs are about to be MIA as televised sports take over the airwaves at all hours of the day. So, in preparation for fall, everyone at Morrow Family Medicine wants to remind you of a few safety tips for fall sports, no matter how you define it.

College football fans may need safety reminders even more than the players suiting up with pads and jerseys, so we will start with them.  Those who attend college football games know that the experience is two-fold;  one part tailgating and one part actually watching the game itself. 

For tailgating,  it is important to stay properly hydrated as those September and October afternoons can still carry plenty of summertime heat. Sunscreen is also a must for the throngs drinking and cooking in a huge stadium parking lot. And speaking of cooking, making sure whatever   meats you are grilling are fully cooked is of the utmost importance as no one wants a case of food poisoning when surrounded by 20,000 of their closest friends, especially when those friends are all sharing one bank of portable toilets.

 

Sunscreen and hydration remain important while watching the game in the stadium. If you begin to feel tired, overheated or nauseous, getting a cool glass of water and out of direct sunlight are just  what the doctor ordered. Finally, if you plan on watching the games at home, keep an eye on how much junk and fatty foods you're consuming. Try some heart-healthy alternatives to the usual unhealthy game-day food fest for your heart, weight and overall health.

Keeping Your Teen Athlete Safe

Continuing the trend, sunscreen and hydration are the top two "musts" for teens gearing up for and playing fall sports. Not a year goes by without us  hearing of a heat or dehydration related injury on the high school football field, so  precautions must be taken   for a safe and enjoyable game.

Also extremely important to the high school athlete is making sure their equipment is in top working order. Pads and helmets must not be worn down or falling apart as they are the only line of defense between a teen and another teen, a ball or the ground. 

Don't Forget Your Teen's Sports Physical

Finally, it is not only highly recommended, but is a rule in the Georgia High School Association (GHSA), that any teen wishing to participate in a high school sport, must receive a full physical examination before any sports or extracurricular activities begin. A sports physical  can reveal health issues that could, if not diagnosed, lead to real problems and injuries in both the short and long term.