Pretoria - Winter school sports season starts soon and comes with a greater risk of injury on the sports fields, making this the most opportune time to maximise safety and awareness.

Between 10% and 15% of high school rugby players will suffer a concussion in any season and 50% of high school rugby players would have suffered a concussion in their high school playing careers.

The risk of injury is also prevalent in hockey, netball and soccer. These are sports loved by pupils across the country, as they start preparing themselves to one day reach the heights of successful players like Siya Kolisi and Simphiwe Shabalala.

The approaching sports season brings with it a renewed sense of vigour to cement positions within respective teams. It also generally comes with more risk of injury on the sports fields.

While children start their preparations, CrisisOnCall, a crisis response company, recommends that all parents take the necessary precautionary measures to improve their response and preparation in the event of an injury that can happen so quickly on the sports field.

In fact, according to research, between 10% and 15% of high school rugby players will suffer a concussion in any season and 50% of high school rugby players would have suffered a concussion in their high school playing careers.

While rugby has seen the highest number of injury statistics in South African school, soccer and hockey also come with their risks. In soccer, the most common types of injuries are to the lower body, specifically ankle sprains (42% of recorded cases) and knee injuries (27%).

According to a 2018 research review of 15 different studies, the most common sites of injury in hockey were to the lower limbs (up to 77% of recorded injuries), followed by head, and upper limbs.

In netball, the most common injuries included knee (30%), followed by the ankle joint (28%) and lower leg (9%).

“On match days, schools are required to have medics on site, however some injuries such as limb breaks, head trauma and internal bleeding, will require ambulance assistance and potential hospitalisation. This may go beyond the school’s resources and capacity to respond,” said Ruan Vermaak, communications manager at CrisisOnCall.

“As a preparation measure ahead of the winter sports season, we recommend that all parents invest in a medical or crisis response service, and locate the nearest clinics and hospitals. It helps to know this information before an injury occurs.

“Our crisis identification wristband also helps to monitor children while they are away on sports tours.

“While injuries such as limb breaks and sprains are very noticeable, other injuries like concussions can go unnoticed. In contact sport, if there is a suspected concussion, it is important to extract the player entirely as a precautionary measure. If not treated correctly, it is possible for a concussion to lead to more severe head trauma or a brain injury.”

Signs of concussion or a head injury include: headache, which is the most common symptom; nausea or vomiting; confusion, disorientation, trouble with general concentration and memory loss; temporary loss of consciousness; dizziness and loss of balance; double or blurry vision and sensitivity to light; ringing in the ears; feeling tired or drowsy; depression, irritability, nervousness and anxiety

“With any injury, it is important to get immediate medical attention to mitigate the risk of permanent damage and avoid further deterioration if the injury is serious.

“If your child is injured on the sports field, it helps to have their personal and medical information immediately available. This will reduce the time to get them admitted to a medical facility if required,” said Vermaak.

Pretoria News