Blog / Youngsters play on through injury for fear of being called 'wimps'

Youngsters play on through injury for fear of being called 'wimps'

• December 5th, 2014
• Alex Blackman

• Grassroots Safety Injury Peer pressure

Premiership footballers are often accused of setting a bad example for children with their theatrical diving and writhing on the pitch in supposed agony when they've barely been touched.

But perhaps more dangerous than faking a foul is playing on when genuinely injured - and it seems the macho attitude of some professional football and rugby players is having a worrying influence on young people.

According to a recent study by personal injury law firm Bolt Burdon Kemp, 56% of children would play on after receiving an injury on the pitch, while 45% worried that they would be branded a 'wimp' if they went off because of an injury.

And of the 1,000 11 to 16-year-olds questioned, more than half (54%) said they 'admired' professional sportsmen as being 'tough' for carrying on despite injury.

As coach your main priority should always be the health and wellbeing of your players. So as much as we all love to hear of heroic players continuing to play on through the pain, this attitude is not something you should encourage with your players.

Allowing players to continue to play on when injured can lead to further injury and prolong the recovery period - meaning a player could be out of action for weeks or months, for the sake of an extra 15 minutes on field.

Keep and eye out for this developing trend and keep your players safe.

Here's some other Sportplan blogs you might like to read:

Concussion: hidden danger with head injuries	Pre-Game Nutrition - Performance and Recovery	Sore muscles and how to speed up recovery
Premiership footballers who clash heads and suffer concussion won't be allowed to play on this season, but what does this directive mean at grassroots level?	What foods should players eat before a big game and which should they avoid?..	Muscle soreness is something we've all experienced, but what causes it, should you train when you've got a niggle and how can you speed up your body's recovery?
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