Blog Archives

Preventing Dehydration in Youth Sports

7/22/2014

Every parent has hopes and dreams for his or her children, and many of those dreams include sports. As moms and dads, we feel excitement for the future as we watch our children take to the fields, step on the ice or enter into the sports arena. My dreams for my almost three year old son flashed by my eyes this past week as I watched a case of severe dehydration cause my son to be unable to walk. As he stood in front of me, arms outstretched and reaching up, legs shaking, physically unable to take a step forward, and asked me to “pick him up”, I wondered what would his life be like if his legs never got back to normal, if he could never kick that soccer ball that I dreamed he would kick next year as he started youth soccer, or if he could never put on his first pair of hockey skates or downhill skis. I was devastated. And to think that a lack of hydration was all to blame. Luckily for me, my son recovered after an ambulance ride and four days in the hospital, including several hours on an IV replenishing his fluids, and now he is back running around as a typical active kid. As parents, we often don’t think of the consequences for our young kids of not drinking water. In my case, it was due to a stomach virus, but in many cases with kids it has to do with youth sports and the lack of consumption of water before, during and after practices and games. I found this article online that gives some guidance as to how much our children should be drinking. Buying them water bottles is a start, but making sure they drink the water in them is critical. A day before my son couldn’t walk, he looked normal. He was active, running around like all the other kids at his school. Next time your child is out there, ask your child if he or she just had a drink of water. Encourage it. Have fun with it. Drink water yourself to set a good example. It will save our kids in youth sports from facing dehydration and all of the health scares that can come when one doesn’t drink water.

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Logging Workouts for Kids

7/10/2014

I have several old log books from years and years of workouts as a young speed skater and cyclist. My Dad and my coach would ask me to keep track of my daily workouts so that I could see progress, discuss gaps in my conditioning and review the content of my workouts if I needed to peak for a particular competition.
I kept a log book because it was fun. There is a certain reward after a hard workout of being able to write it down. The workout scribbled on a small piece of paper in my pocket during the workout often turned into the words in my logbook. Intervals, speed work, circuits, hill runs, tempos. I loved to see how many miles I rode on my bike each week and each season. I enjoyed looking back at the details of the many hard workouts I put my body through year after year. I most certainly never wanted to see an empty day without any sports, unless, of course, it was a designated rest day. Keeping a log book was a way for me to log my successes and challenges and it motivated me to do more.
For the older kids in the age group 10-13, log books provide a great way to put some structure into sport, and help kids as they get more serious about the sports they play, in anticipation of the next stage in one’s sports career, in the latter teen years, when the intensity gets greater and the stakes get higher for competing in those sports in which they like to play. Of course, for the recreational athlete, log books can also provide enjoyment similar to what a writing journal does for the individuals who like to write.
Bookstores sell many different versions of hard copy workout log books, and the online apps give athletes so much to choose from depending on sport, what you want to track and how often you want to log. I would highly recommend, however, that kids use notebooks and pens or pencils to log their workouts. It is fun to see workouts on paper and with a little imagination, a ruler, a calendar, and a writing tool, younger kids can step away from technology and get some good old fashioned logbook experience. Happy logging!

Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/besporthappy or join our Be Sport Happy Saratoga Equipment Exchange group on Facebook and exchange used sports equipment with other Saratoga families: www.facebook.com/groups/besporthappy.