Tips for Youth Athletes During COVID-19

What is typ­i­cal­ly a busy sea­son for many youth ath­letes in the area has come to a halt. Ongo­ing con­cerns sur­round­ing COVID-19 have led to the can­cel­la­tion or post­pone­ment of many spring and sum­mer sports.

Quin­cy Med­ical Group (QMG) Sports Med­i­cine Coor­di­na­tor Ash­ley Hack­mann said though this time has left young ath­letes with­out their sport, there are sev­er­al ways to make the most of the time to stay game ready.

“Cham­pi­ons are made in the off-sea­son and we’re all in the off-sea­son togeth­er right now,” Hack­mann said. ​“Do some­thing to keep your­self active. Go for a walk or jog, ride your bike, or par­tic­i­pate in an online exer­cise class. Any­thing to keep your­self moving!”

Hack­mann said doing lit­tle things now to stay active will make a big impact when ath­letes are allowed to return to their sport. This includes per­form­ing drills focus­ing on both form and fundamentals.

“Now is the time to con­tin­ue doing all of those drills your coach­es have you do at the begin­ning of prac­tice. Your coach­es choose spe­cif­ic foot­work, throw­ing, and agili­ty drills to pre­pare you to com­pete and focus on mus­cle mem­o­ry. Get out­side, enjoy the beau­ti­ful weath­er, and get creative!”

When it comes to work­ing out, power/​strength ath­letes should focus on using heav­ier weights with low­er reps com­bined with jump­ing, agili­ty drills, and sprints. Endurance ath­letes should focus on low­er weights with high­er reps, longer bouts of car­dio work, and agili­ty drills depend­ing on their sport.

“A mix of car­dio and weights is the way to go. If free weights or exer­cise equip­ment are not read­i­ly avail­able, there are plen­ty of body-weight exer­cis­es that can eas­i­ly be done includ­ing sit-ups, push-ups, pull-ups, lunges, and squats,” Hack­mann shared.

All exer­cise not only ben­e­fits ath­letes’ phys­i­cal health but their men­tal health, as well. Hack­mann said stay­ing active can help boost your mood and help you cope with feel­ings of disappointment.

“Exer­cise is a sci­en­tif­i­cal­ly proven mood boost­er, decreas­ing symp­toms of both depres­sion and anx­i­ety,” she explained. ​“Phys­i­cal activ­i­ty kicks up endor­phin lev­els, the body’s ​‘feel-good’ chem­i­cal pro­duced by the brain that pro­duces feel­ings of hap­pi­ness and euphoria.”

Added men­tal ben­e­fits include a reduc­tion in stress lev­els, increased self-esteem, and a boost­ed brain­pow­er to help with mem­o­ry, learn­ing, cre­ativ­i­ty, and men­tal energy.

When it comes time to get back to the field, track, or court, Hack­mann added focus­ing on over­all phys­i­cal fit­ness will also help pre­vent injuries.

For more infor­ma­tion on Quin­cy Med­ical Group Ortho­pe­dics and Sports Med­i­cine depart­ment or Sports Injury Clin­ic, vis­it quin​cymed​group​.com or call 217−222−6550, ext. 3282.

Learn more about QMG Ortho Now, which offers imme­di­ate access to expert ortho­pe­dic care, at https://​quin​cymed​group​.com/​q​m​g​o​r​t​h​onow/.