Injuries can be fairly common in tennis and can range from minor pain to season-ending ankle rolls. When an injury is serious kids almost always make the choice to stop playing. However, minor pains can be tricky as kids usually aren’t sure if the injury is serious enough to stop playing. Now before I continue, it is important to note that I am not a doctor and you should seek a trained professional for medical advice when any injury occurs. The unfortunate thing is that most tournaments do not have a trained physician on staff, so kids are left on their own to make this decision.
This article is for your child to learn how to look at an injury and come to a conclusion to NOT continue playing instead of playing on it and making it worse. There are three major things to think about when deciding when to keep playing with pain. They are, will they need to take extra time off from tennis if they continue with a match, will they be able to play their next match if they continue and win, and have they seen a doctor about this injury already.
Will they need to take more time off if they continue playing with the injury?
Chances are the more your child plays with an injury, the worse it will become. It is important that your child realizes that the worse an injury gets, in general, the more time they are going to need to recover. A match is not worth completing at a disadvantage if they have to take a week or more off from tennis as a result. Make sure your child understands that not only do they have to worry about the time off but also the time it will take to get back into the groove of things (Which in general is the equivalent of the time taken off). So, if your child takes one week off then that means they lose two weeks, one for the time off and one to get back into the swing of things. MOST IMPORTANTLY your child should observe the general rule that if the pain from an injury gets worse, they should stop playing immediately. If the pain gets worse, then it means that they should not be playing with the injury.
Will they be able to play the next match if they win with the injury?
If your child is in the position to win, chances are they are going to want to continue playing. They should do is ask themselves “is the pain getting worse?” If yes, then regardless they should stop immediately. If it hurts but is not getting worse, then they should consider what will happen in their next match. Would they be able to win or even play their next match? If the answer is no, then they are better off pulling out of the match and getting rest so they reduce the healing time and can start playing again sooner.
Have they already seen a doctor about this injury?
If a child has a lingering injury that they have consulted a doctor about and have been cleared to play by them, then, by all means, they can continue playing. Otherwise, they should choose to stop playing far more often than choosing to play.
Kids and adults are prone to a lot of random pains that can periodically come and go. For this reason, it can sometimes be tricky when deciding whether or not to continue playing. My rule of thumb is that you should stop immediately if the pain gets worse. Otherwise, they should more often than not air on the side of caution. Again I AM NOT A DOCTOR, and you and your child should take the time to consult a doctor about any injury before playing on one. A doctor will also be able to give you a lot more information on common tennis injuries and how to prevent them. The only good injury is one that never happens. But, if one does happen, your child should make sure they are back on their feet as soon as possible, and the best way to do this is by playing on the side of caution.
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