Before we had Alexander, Ian and I knew we wanted him to be active. We joked about him running toddler soccer drills, or swimming like a little fish as a baby. We’re what you call “super competitive” people. Haha, ok I joke, but we are quite competitive and we both grew up with our childhoods revolving around sports. I was a swimmer, a gymnast, and a cheerleader, and Ian played soccer.
Alexander hasn’t started organized sports yet (he’s still only 3), but we both want him to have the same active lifestyle we enjoyed as children. We feel like being active and participating in team sports will pay dividends for the rest of his life, as it has for ours. Because we know the involvement we want him to have when he gets older, I’m already vigilant about his safety.
If you’ve read my blog or followed me on social media you’ll know that I’ve already started taking safety precautions in regards to sports. I’ve benefitted my entire life by my strong swimming skills taught to me as a young child, but instead of enrolling him in group lessons we chose to put safety first and opted for ISR.
This is why I’m proud to partner with NATA and raise awareness about safety with children’s sports. It’s never too young to consider safety when weighing athletic opportunities for your child. I highly suggest you download NATA’s Parent Checklist for Youth Sports Safety and go over it before they start playing sports. It’s a great resource that puts safety top of mind. At the end of the day, Ian and I are Alexander’s biggest safety advocates and we want to make sure he’s safe.
The mission of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) is to represent, engage and foster the continued growth and development of the athletic training profession and athletic trainers as unique health care providers. They also provide amazing resources for the public about how to advocate for sports safety via AtYourOwnRisk.org. There they provide tips for parents, coaches, student-athletes and more!
Although he’s little- we’re already putting Alexander’s safety first and making sure he’s involved in the process so he understands as he gets older how important safety is. The NATA’s At Your Own Risk program is an excellent resource for parents- regardless of the age of your kids. We have no expectations for Alexander’s future in sports, but as long as he lives an active lifestyle, we’re happy to support him in any way possible. The goal is always for him to have fun because that’s the point!
