The rising athletes coming up today are seen to be bigger, stronger, and more athletic than your overall athletes were decades ago. Not to take anything away from past and present athletes who dominated the game at a high level., it’s just nowadays the new generation continues to breed bigger and faster basketball players — a primary reason why staying healthy is the key for athletes throughout their careers.
Knee injuries in particular seem to be more popular these days for both male and female hoopers. Female athletes are 4 to 8 more times likely to suffer the injury. ACL and MCL injuries are the most accurate injuries athletes suffer from today.
You often wonder why so many athletes are suffering from these injuries.
Could it be the type of shoes they’re wearing? Are coaches overworking the athletes? Poor nutrition? What exactly is the reason why so many athletes suffer from these common knee injuries? For example, New York Knicks star Derrick Rose suffered an ACL tear in 2012 in the first round of the NBA playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers. Rose has worked exceptionally hard since then, even after re-injuring his knee. However, certain aspects of his game have changed. For most athletes who suffer these ACL injuries, some may never be the same and others it may take some time.
In my opinion, a lot of the knee injuries are caused today by overtraining and certain coach’s styles of overworking the athletes. There’s also poor diet habits and lack of proper equipment.
5 tips to consider:
- Proper nutrients is a must! From childhood up into your high school playing days. It’s essential for athletes to eat healthy these days. It leads to a longer career along with a healthier lifestyle.
- Play multiple sports. Researchers have shown that single-sport athletes seem to be more prone to injury. Not only does it keep the athletes healthy, it also trains their body early on for collegiate careers, which is typically known to have longer seasons and have more impact on the overall body.
- Key Phases! Such as STRETCHING, WARM-UPS, PROPER STRENGTHENING WORKOUTS, REST! Very important traits to follow throughout the remainder of your careers.
- Make sure to wear proper equipment. Don’t wait for the injury to occur if you’re having trouble early on. For example, knee brace, couple pairs of socks, ankle brace etc. Also choose a shoe that’s right for you and not because of the popularity of the shoe.
- Hydrate! Get in the habit of drinking 8 ounces of water or even sports drinks each day during and after playing.
Some injuries are just out of our control. However, if you have a chance to avoid them completely, take into consideration some useful tips that will be beneficial to your basketball career down the line.
