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| Sunday, 20 March 2005 |
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Junior Observer |
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News Business Features
Editorial
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Play safe!
Why is it important to be safe? The biggest reason to be safe when you play is because it helps prevent injuries to you and to the other players. This makes the game more fun, too. There are lots of ways to be safe when you play. You can wear protective gear, use equipment properly, warm up your muscles, follow the rules of the game, and so on. Protective gear: Protective gear is anything you wear that helps keep you from getting hurt. The gear you wear depends on the sport you play. Helmets are the best way to protect your head while you play. They are important for lots of sports. Here are some tips about helmets: * Always wear a helmet that is made especially for the sport you're playing - football helmets can't do double duty as bike helmets! * Any helmet should fit snugly but comfortably on your head and shouldn't tilt backward or forward. You should never wear a baseball cap under a helmet. * Any straps on the helmet should be fastened correctly. * You may not consider riding your bike to school as a sport, but you should always wear a helmet when you ride your bike, whether it's around the block or on a mountain bike course. Use sports equipment properly: Protective gear is made for one reason: to keep you safe. But if you use it the wrong way, it can hurt you and others. Always make sure your protective gear fits you properly. For example, a helmet that's too big can slide around on your head - and if you fall and hit your head, it probably wouldn't protect you. If you were suddenly tackled, a loose football helmet could fly off and hit another player. And pads that don't fit right can slip and cause you to trip or hurt yourself. Your parents, coach, or even a sporting-goods-store employee can help you find the best possible fit for your equipment. Never use protective gear as a weapon. Helmets are made to protect your head, not to run into other players. Hitting someone with your head, even while wearing a helmet, can injure your spine. Instead of ramming your opponent with your head, use your chest or shoulder pads as your first point of contact. Slamming into another player with your helmeted head could cause serious injury to him as well as you. Warm up and practise: Warming up your muscles and practising a sport helps keep you safe, too. Warm-ups that last 15 to 30 minutes and include slow, gradual stretching help lengthen your muscles and increase your blood flow and muscle temperature. That way, your muscles are ready for action and you are much less likely to get hurt. Practising a sport regularly also helps prevent injuries because you'll know more about how the sport should be played. Know the rules of the game
Rules are made to keep athletes safe and to keep the game fair. For example, a baseball player who flings a bat after a hit instead of dropping it safely to the ground could hurt another player - or even someone in the stands. One of the most important rules for any sport you play is to be a good sport while you play. Whether you win or lose, be nice on the field or court. That means no hitting, kicking, or other mean stuff. When all the athletes play a clean game, everyone can stay safe. Communicate with your teammates; Pay attention when you play! Know what the other people on your team are doing and be aware of what's going on around you. Make sure you know what moves your team will be using, too. Don't play with an injury If you enjoy sports, you may want to play with an injury just to stay in the game, but this is never a good idea. Although playing is fun, you could make the injury worse if you continue to play. Then it will be a lot longer before you can play again - if you can play at all. Be sure to tell your parents or coach right away if you're hurt. ************ When you're injured, follow RICE: * Rest First, stop playing, rest, and decide with your coach about the extent of the injury. * Ice Apply ice to the injured area for about 20 minutes every hour until the swelling starts to go down. * Compression Use compression by wrapping the injured area with a stretchy, supportive bandage. This limits swelling and keeps the area still, which will help protect it. * Elevate Elevate, or raise, the injured part as much as you can and still be comfortable while resting. This will help keep the swelling down by reducing the amount of blood going to that area. Remember, winning is never as important as taking care of yourself. When
you play safe, you'll be able to play another day! |
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Politics | Produced by Lake House |
Lots of children believe that it is fun to be involved in sports
activities as it gives them a chance to be with friends. Sports is fun, as
well as a good way to stay healthy and fit. But are you aware that there's a
lot more to sports than just playing games? To make sure you can enjoy
sports for a long time, you need to take care of yourself when playing any
game. And that means, you need to play it safe. Read on to find out how. 