This April, the STOP Sports Injuries Campaign celebrated National Youth Sports Safety Month to recognize the importance of sports for kids – and how we can help these athletes prevent injuries. While the excitement surrounding these events winds down, efforts for raising sports safety awareness continues into the summer months, and throughout the year.

April’s National Youth Sports Safety Month may be winding down, but efforts to help prevent injuries in young athletes continue throughout the year – and the topic of sports specialization is at the center of discussions.

It has been estimated that there are more than eight million water skiers and more than three million wake boarders in the United States. Dr. Ken Fine shares precautions that should be taken to ensure these sports are as safe as possible.

The recent NCAA Youth Clinics at the men's and women's Final Four weekends help young athletes learn more about their favorite game - and educate parents on important injury prevention information.

In the quest for performance and fitness, athletes and the public often turn to recovery drinks for a boost.  Research into this area has generated useful information that can guide optimal consumption of these drinks. Dr. Robert Brophy shares some basics to help athletes ensure their bodies are replenished during and after games.

We form some of our earliest athletic experiences on playgrounds and on the blacktop. Unfortunately injuries occur with some frequency in these areas. Learn more about keeping kids safe while staying active on the playground with this article from Dr. Dan Solomon.

Caring for the safety of young athletes goes beyond just the primary treatment of injuries. Responding to and helping kids prevent injuries are just some of the day-to-day responsibilities of Certified Athletic Trainers. Robert Gray, ATC, shares more about the important role these individuals play in the sporting community.

Youth sports injury statistics don't lie -  nearly 2.6 million children are treated for sports injuries annually in the United States. During April we celebrate National Youth Sports Safety Month to raise awareness of these injuries and offer tips for helping keep athletes in the game. Dr. David Geier shares some ideas for getting the sports safety message out this April.

As young athletes hit baseball diamonds across the country, remember these tips to help prevent injuries and keep the game safe.

As reducing youth sports injuries continues to be a concern, figuring out where to start is a big first step.  Athletic trainers have a firm grasp of what is happening on their teams and work diligently to communicate with students, coaches, parents and school administrators - but can sometimes be challenged by paper reporting systems of injuries. Charlie Wund, President of the Agency for Student Health Research, discusses a new online system that eases the process of recording injuries in youth sports, and hopefully makes prevention an easier prospect.