There’s an interesting article in The Record about the danger of kids getting hurt through overuse of the same bones, muscles and joints. Doctors are seeing more of these types of injuries and believe that overuse is a major cause. It is worth reading the whole thing.
[Doctors say that young athletes need] rest for the bones, muscles and joints that suffer the most abuse in the body of an athlete who plays the same sport with intense frequency. A pitcher’s arm, a tennis player’s shoulder, a basketball player’s knees — these are all the body parts that show signs of wear by the end of a season, Bottiglieri says. If the season never ends, that wear can soon become a tear.
“A professional athlete has an off season, but too many kids playing sports these days do not,” Bottiglieri said. “They are playing year-round and they are not giving their muscles time to rest and recover.”