Walk it off or pull them from the game.

[swamp]

DS got hit in the belly by a lacrosse ball today that was intended to be a shot on goal. He got a pretty good welt but wasn't seriously hurt. He's 7, so I think it scared him more than anything.  
I let him sit out the 10 minutes left in the game, but made him go back in for the next game.  At first he wanted to come off the field and go home, but I made him stay. About 5 mins into the game, he was back into it.   I would have pulled him if I reaaly thought he was hurt. 

What would you have done?  

[taz157]

Probably the same thing.

However if DH thought he should be pulled, then I would listen to DH.  FWIW, DH played alot more sports than I did so I would refer to his judgment.  What did your DH say?

[swamp]

Jun 9, 2013 19:55:59 GMT -5 taz157 said:

Probably the same thing.

However if DH thought he should be pulled, then I would listen to DH.  FWIW, DH played alot more sports than I did so I would refer to his judgment.  What did your DH say?

DH defers to me because I played a lot more sports than him. 

[Deleted]

I'd worry more about head injuries.  Our school has gone on alert for concussions.  Did you know that you are basically supposed to keep them in a dark room for several days . . . no thinking allowed?  Even when they go back to school, thinking is not really encouraged.  No tests, no reading, no homework, etc.  It drives my teacher friends nuts because of the make-up involved, but I actually believe the research.

For more physical injuries, I would defer to the old "shake it off" mantra.  That assumes the coach has basically  checked them out.  If the kid insists he/she can't, though, something major is going on.  I would then go pronto to a doctor or ER.

[swamp]

Jun 9, 2013 20:18:46 GMT -5 @missmargarita said:

It may be the first time he's been hit... But it ain't gonna be the last.

Yeah, I told him that, I don't think that helped. 

[whoisjohngalt]

Being a wimp myself I would want to pull him off, but would probably watch his reaction more than anything.

Here is kind of a side story:

When my oldest was born my DH told me that he didn't want me to make a big (or any kind) of deal if he fell or hurt himself.   So, I didn't and it seems that now that whenever something happens his reaction is "oh, I am fine".  Well, sounds good in theory, but there were a few times when he really wasn't and I wished I knew that earlier.

So, the moral of the story for me is I don't have set-in-stone rules, but kind of go by each instance.  

[mmhmm]

I'd have done what you did, swamp.  I'd let him sit it out for a bit and watch him.  If he seemed okay, I'd encourage him to get back in and play.  As MM said, this isn't the only time he's gonna "take one for/from the team."

[Deleted]

I think you did the right thing. It's not just about sports. You want kids to know not to quit at every difficulty, that most of them can be "played through".

[milee]

Since he wasn't seriously hurt, sounds like you did the right thing.  IMHO it's a good thing to put them back in so that their last experience and most recent memory isn't one of sheer terror or being hurt. 

[Queen of Interesting Nuts]

Oof that would have hurt. I think you done the right thing.

[Deleted]

Just wait until he gets one in the soft and danglies.

[swamp]

Jun 9, 2013 20:50:29 GMT -5 ArchietheDragon said:

Just wait until he gets one in the soft and danglies.

That's what to he coach said. 

[tallguy]

What would you have done?

I would probably have tried to get him back in for the end of the game in which he got hurt, but given there were only ten minutes left and he's only seven it's not a big deal.  Definitely have him in for the next game.  Don't let fear win.  It tends to go on a long winning streak if you do.

As an aside, I didn't really start playing organized sports until I was about ten (so never had to face that at seven) but I remember playing hurt quite a bit later on.  My senior year in high school I was playing a basketball game on a Tuesday night.  Badly sprained an ankle at the start of the second quarter and had to be helped (carried) off the court.  Pretty sure I wasn't in school Wednesday, and don't remember about Thursday, but played Thursday night.  Limped through pregame warmups, barely made it through that, and was probably the last person downcourt every time on offense.  Couldn't even shoot a hook shot going off that foot, so I made three left-handed going off the other one.  If you CAN play, you do.  Always.       

[Shooby]

I would leave it up to my kid basically in communicating how he felt. Sometimes you need to sit out a bit after getting the wind knocked out of you. And getting hit in the stomach I would be more prone to let him sit out for a little while until he felt up to par. I do not believe in leaving a visibly injured child in the game.

[Deleted]

Jun 9, 2013 21:30:42 GMT -5 Shooby said:

I would leave it up to my kid basically in communicating how he felt. Sometimes you need to sit out a bit after getting the wind knocked out of you. And getting hit in the stomach I would be more prone to let him sit out for a little while until he felt up to par. I do not believe in leaving a visibly injured child in the game.

A former co-worker of mine wouldn't let his daughters play contact sports till they hit puberty.  Swimming, bicycling, etc. was fine and they were very athletic young women (he had no sons).  They immediately got into field hocket and soccer when they were old enough.  His feeling was that he wanted to get them to puberty with no lingering damage from early injuries. 

DS was not into team sports, but I agree with the above, except on head injuries and anything else where getting back in the game could make the injury worse.  If I were tallguy's mother, I probably wouldn't have wanted him to play with a sprain!

[Shooby]

  Putting a visibly injured child back into a game is FOOLISH.   Sorry, but there are lot of stupid coaches with some machismo attitude.  If put an injured kid back in, he is a sitting duck to get hurt in a more severe way.  It is simply idiotic.  Yeah, pull the kid off the floor.  Let them sit and collect their breath and have a break.  Have them 'walk it off a bit" if it wasn't something overly concerning.  Then when he/she is ready to go back into the game, then it is ok to put them back in.

  As for chronic sports injuries, we parents really need to THINK about how we are setting our kids up for the long term.  Yeah some glory now is fine.  But, if they are 40 and can barely walk because they got so beat up playing sports, what was accomplished?  We need to keep things in perspective.  It is just a HOBBY!  That's it.  Something for fun.  99% are never going to in the Big leagues so let's keep it real.

[mrsdutt]

Jun 9, 2013 19:54:31 GMT -5 swamp said:

DS got hit in the belly by a lacrosse ball today that was intended to be a shot on goal. He got a pretty good welt but wasn't seriously hurt. He's 7, so I think it scared him more than anything.  
I let him sit out the 10 minutes left in the game, but made him go back in for the next game.  At first he wanted to come off the field and go home, but I made him stay. About 5 mins into the game, he was back into it.   I would have pulled him if I reaaly thought he was hurt. 

What would you have done?  

Just what you did!

[midjd]

I agree with Lone (did I just say that? ) 

I wanted to comment only to Tallguy's point that if you can play, you should. DH has always had that attitude and is facing a total knee replacement in his thirties (and probably again in his fifties) from the compounding injuries he received during junior high and HS football. He did the "oh, I'm fine" act for years and by the time he actually saw a doctor, there was nothing that could be done (though that didn't stop them from performing three operations over a decade).

IMO orthopedic/head injuries should be treated differently from soft tissue injuries. I'd have let my kid go back in under the circumstances in the OP, but if he twisted an ankle or took a blow to the head, I'd probably keep him out for a while, even if he insisted he was fine.

[Green Eyed Lady]

Same thing you did.  Like my dad always said, "No blood and no bones sticking through your skin.  You ain't gonna die.  Suck it up and get back out there."  

Seriously tho?  I know, from playing sports all my life, that if you come out and actually have time to think about your owie, it makes it all that harder to go back in.  Get back in there and keep playing and it's forgotten....at least until the ER for the stitches. 

[Deleted]

Jun 10, 2013 8:11:14 GMT -5 Shooby said:

   We need to keep things in perspective.  It is just a HOBBY!  That's it.  Something for fun.  99% are never going to in the Big leagues so let's keep it real.

I was A" sport team Mom" for over 6 years and I think your statement is correct assumption.

[tallguy]

I wanted to comment only to Tallguy's point that if you can play, you should do.

That is from the athlete's perspective.  And no, we're not very good at listening to our mothers....  But more importantly, there is a big difference between being "hurt" and being "injured."  You can always play hurt.  You can't always play injured.

The more important point from the response to the OP was to not let fear stop you.  Don't set that precedent. 

[swamp]

Jun 9, 2013 21:25:57 GMT -5 tallguy said:

What would you have done?

I would probably have tried to get him back in for the end of the game in which he got hurt, but given there were only ten minutes left and he's only seven it's not a big deal.  Definitely have him in for the next game.  Don't let fear win.  It tends to go on a long winning streak if you do.
   

I did put him back in the game, but he started crying on the field, so I pulled him.     I'm not completely mean. 

[thyme4change]

We've always had a "walk it off" attitude.  Not only with sports, but falling off your bike, tripping over your shoelace, running into the wall, etc.  But I've always known when there is really an injury.  I have many, many friends who had their kids walking around with a broken bone for a day or two.  If they are still complaining 36 hours later - get it checked out.  Most injuries work themselves out, or won't be life threatening if you wait a few hours.  Injuries that are life threatening are usually pretty easy to tell.  

[Regis]

As someone who has coached a lot of youth sports, I'm normally pretty conservative and pull the kid out if I think they're not going to be close to 100% for a while.  I'm no medical professional and the liability is too high for me to make the decision as to whether or not a kid has a concussion or a more serious injury than is visible.  In nearly every instance I was a volunteer coach.  No reason to possibly subject myself to a lawsuit from some parent for a job that I was not receiving a salary for.

[Deleted]

Jun 10, 2013 8:41:11 GMT -5 midjd said:

IMO orthopedic/head injuries should be treated differently from soft tissue injuries. I'd have let my kid go back in under the circumstances in the OP, but if he twisted an ankle or took a blow to the head, I'd probably keep him out for a while, even if he insisted he was fine.

I remember being in the ER (had to have a thumb stitched up when I got clumsy sawing limbs off a tree) and I remember seeing a girl who looked about 10 in with her parents with a soccer injury- something pulled or strained. They mentioned that she'd had injuries like this a few times. That bothered me. What's her body going to be like when she's 50? I was so bad at team sports at that age I played only when forced to do so in phys. ed classes, although I loved hiking, biking and swimming. At age 60, I think I'm much better off because I didn't rip up my body when I was young.

[swamp]

Jun 10, 2013 11:51:57 GMT -5 Regis said:

As someone who has coached a lot of youth sports, I'm normally pretty conservative and pull the kid out if I think they're not going to be close to 100% for a while.  I'm no medical professional and the liability is too high for me to make the decision as to whether or not a kid has a concussion or a more serious injury than is visible.  In nearly every instance I was a volunteer coach.  No reason to possibly subject myself to a lawsuit from some parent for a job that I was not receiving a salary for.

Mom is a lawyer and dad is a medical professional.  A coach's worst nightmare.

[Shooby]

[swamp]

Jun 10, 2013 11:53:17 GMT -5 @athena53 said:

Jun 10, 2013 8:41:11 GMT -5 midjd said:

IMO orthopedic/head injuries should be treated differently from soft tissue injuries. I'd have let my kid go back in under the circumstances in the OP, but if he twisted an ankle or took a blow to the head, I'd probably keep him out for a while, even if he insisted he was fine.

I remember being in the ER (had to have a thumb stitched up when I got clumsy sawing limbs off a tree) and I remember seeing a girl who looked about 10 in with her parents with a soccer injury- something pulled or strained. They mentioned that she'd had injuries like this a few times. That bothered me. What's her body going to be like when she's 50? I was so bad at team sports at that age I played only when forced to do so in phys. ed classes, although I loved hiking, biking and swimming. At age 60, I think I'm much better off because I didn't rip up my body when I was young.

I agree, but you can tear your body up from swimming and hiking.  The worst ankle sprain I had was from hiking, and my shoulders are a mess from 10 years of competitive swimming. 

I blew my knees skiing. 

[Bob Ross]

The correct answer is to walk it off.

Walking it off is the universal cure to all sports injuries, from sprained ankles to limb loss to AIDS.

Who are you to argue with decades of acquired wisdom of thousands of suburban coach-dads?

[formerroomate99]

I know a while back there was an issue with heart injuries in baseball.  Apparently, small kid's ribcages are so flexible that a hit to the chest would bruise the heart and occasionally, a kid will get hit and then later drop dead.  This is from a 60 minutes segment 20+ years ago, so I can't provide any links. 

Personally, I would think twice about letting a 7 year old play the 'small hard ball' sports.  Short attention spans and deadly projectiles don't mix.