Heartland Soccer Association
9161 W 133rd Street, Overland Park, KS 66213
Phone: 913.888.8768


Heartland Soccer Association is recognized as one
of the largest soccer leagues and tournament hosts in the country. We offer recreational to premier divisions,
ages U8 through U19.
Job Openings!
Heritage Soccer Park Concession

*Part time register attendant.
Must be 14 years old.

*Part time concession cart attendant.
Must be a minimum of 16 years old with
a valid driver's license.

If interested, email Ramiro: [email protected]

**REMINDER**
Please remember to pick up your player cards after the games. They will be located in the plastic tubs at the corner of the field that you are playing on.
  The referees will be getting ready for the next game and will be in the same corner.  



What is everyone most excited about for the spring soccer season?

"To just watch my girl play the sport she loves. ❤️ (the hot chocolate is an added bonus!)"

"I am excited about all the nice coaches and amazing players!"

"Love watching my favorite keeper with my soccer family!!"

"I'm excited to watch my girls all playing for their different high school teams and waiting for fall to kick off  with them again."



"Excited to be outside and watch the kids compete for more trophies!"

"Love the excitement the kids display plus the great attitude they show win or lose. Great team, great coaches."

Soccer Pictures Your Way
Action Shots for 3 games and Team Photo $150
                      
You own your pictures provided by an online gallery. All pictures have free downloads. With the gallery link you can share them with team members and families. Each gallery can be password protected for private viewing. Editing included. The Gallery contains all full frame pictures. Contact: [email protected]   or   http://www.ehsportsphotography.com/

Mar 17-19 Leaue play
Mar 24-26
League play
Mar 31-Apr 2
League Play/ Dick's Sporting Goods Discount Weekend for Heartland
Apr 7-9 Sport Shake Kansas City Champions Cup / League play
Apr 14-15 League play
Apr 16 Easter Sunday/No Games
Apr 21-23 League play
Apr 28 - 30 League play
May 5-7 League Play
May 12-14 Sport Shake Midwest Mother's Day Classic / League play
May 19 - 21 Rainout weekend
May 26 - 29 SeatGeek Kansas City Invitational Tournament

This Month in History: March 
(Happy St. Patrick's Day!)

It was John M. McAlery, a Belfast merchant, who introduced association football or soccer  to Ireland  in 1878..... A year later, on November 18th, 1880, the Irish Football Association was born in the Queen's Hotel in Belfast.

2016/17 Heartland Numbers

Fall league teams
1260
Spring league teams
1296
League players 
42,000
Tournament teams
2,634
Tournament players 
44,000+
Referees
1,600
Coaches
1,400
Upcoming Tournament: 
Sport Shake  KC Champions Cup
April 7-9, 2017
*registration is now closed*
This tournament is in its 9th year and is established
as a top spring event that attracts teams from throughout the Midwest. This year the tournament
will be open to teams of all levels of play within the following age divisions - Boys U8-U19 and Girls
U8-U14.  

REGISTRATION OPEN UNTIL APRIL 10!
Sport Shake Mother's Day Tournament
May 12th-14th, 2017
Last year the Midwest Mother's Day Classic reached
a record number of 404 teams including international competition. Three levels of play (Gold, Silver, and Bronze) ensure that every team finds itself matched against similar competition. In addition to providing excellent competition, this newest addition to 
Heartland tournament series is formatted to be particularly family friendly. The tournament will be hosted at the Scheels Overland Park Soccer Complex, where siblings can enjoy the multiple playgrounds,
the skate park, or tennis courts. Mothers will be honored on Sunday, when each player will be given
a flower to present to their mother. 


To register or for more information, click here.

2016/17 Tournament Numbers
(number of teams)

Border Battle '17
181
Sport Shake KC Champions Cup '17 406
Mother's Day Classic '16 407
KC Invitational '16
282
Fall Kick Off Challenge '16
224
Heartland Midwest Classic '16
198
Sport Shake Midwest All Girls '16
282
ALDI Heartland Invitational Girls  '16
339
ALDI Heartland Invitational Boys '16
431




In the last 12 months Heartland welcomed teams
  from a total of 17 states and Canada.


From the Heartland League Director,
Richard Davies  
 
Dear All,

It's great to be back outside again, even though the winter weather was pretty mild this year in Kansas City.
Games have started and we have already had our first tournament of the season. Congratulations to everyone
that played in the Border Battle, it was a great event to
kick off the spring season.

I know everyone wants to play on the turf fields for each game, but currently that is not feasible. However, with
the new complexes coming up on the horizon, that could soon be a reality.

One post match change that we have introduced for the spring, is that we have discontinued the ceremonial handshake with the referees after the game. We still
expect the players to perform handshakes/high fives with each other, but not with the officials. The reason for this
is to try and keep the games on time by removing issues
that delay the turnaround of games.

We continue to monitor and mentor our referees and are very determined to make the overall standard of
officiating, the highest it can be. We need your continued support in this quest. The more referees we can retain
from season to season, the more successful our project
will be. Please remain patient on the sidelines, nobody makes an error on purpose.
Thanks again for your support and enjoy watching your
kids play.

Thanks
Heartland staff

Concussion ImPACT  Testing

Open to all Heartland Soccer participants
for more information contact :
Betsy Kellerman [email protected]
(913) 541-3365

Overland Park Regional Medical Center
2017 Referee Meetings
 
Referees of all ages and experience levels
are encouraged to attend Heartland's monthly referee meetings! Join us to learn tips and
tricks for ARs and Referees, fun games, vital information, and fabulous prizes! Parents are always welcome.    

Wednesday, March 15 
Monday, April 10
Wednesday, May  10
Monday, June 12
Wednesday, July 12 
Monday, August 7
Wednesday, September 13 
Wednesday, October 11 
Wednesday, November  8 
Monday,  December 11

*Mentors will meet from 6PM-7PM
*Monthly Referee Meeting from 7PM-8:30PM

Meetings will be held at the "Steve D. Scheels" Training Center in the northwest corner of the second floor of the Scheels store located at 6503 West 135th St, Overland Park, KS 66223

Get certified to be a referee!
  Sign up to be a referee for
Spring 2017 Heartland  league.
Reimaging How the World
Manages Youth Sports
 
GET IN THE GAME!
Health Tip

Sports physicals and annual physicals are different, but equally important ways to keep your young athletes safe and healthy.

Playing sports helps keep kids fit and they can be a fun way for them to socialize and make friends. But why is it so important for kids to get a sports physical at the beginning of their sports season?

About sports physicals
In the sports medicine field, the sports physical exam - or pre-participation physical examination (PPE) - helps determine whether it's safe for kids to participate in a certain sport. Most states actually require that kids and teens have a sports physical before they can start a new sport or begin a new competitive season. Even if they aren't required by your school or state, getting a sports physical is a good way to make sure your child is in the best health possible when the season starts.
The two main parts to a sports physical are the medical history and the physical exam.

At the end of the exam, the doctor will either fill out and sign a form if everything checks out OK or, in some cases, recommend a follow-up exam, additional tests, or specific treatment for medical problems.

Why a sports physical is important
A sports physical can help athletes find out about and deal with health problems that might interfere with their participation in a sport. For example, for a kid who has frequent asthma attacks but is a starting forward in soccer, a doctor might be able to prescribe a different type of inhaler or adjust the dosage for easier breathing during running.
The doctor can identify risk factors linked to specific sports, give advice on avoiding common injuries in the sport, and may even have some good stretching and strengthening tips for your child.

When and where to go for a sports physical
If your child's school offers the exam, it's convenient to get it done there, but it's still a good idea for your regular doctor to do an exam as well. Your primary care doctor knows your kids - and their health history - better than anyone who might examine them during a school physical.

Getting a sports physical once a year is usually adequate. Any athlete healing from a major injury, however, should get checked out after it's healed before starting to practice or play again.
Getting a physical about six weeks before the sports season begins allows enough time to follow up on something, if necessary. Neither your child nor your doctor will be very happy if the sports physical is the day before baseball practice starts and it turns out there's something that needs to be taken care of.

What about regular physicals?
Regular physicals are different from sports physicals, but both are equally important. Whereas the sports physical focuses on well-being related to athletic issues, the regular physical address kids' overall well-being and includes things not related to sports. You can ask your doctor to do both types of exams during one visit; just be aware that it'll take more time.

After your doctor approves your child to play sports
Even if a sports physical exam doesn't reveal any problems, it's always wise to monitor your kids when they play sports. If you notice changes in their physical condition - even if you think they're minor, such as muscle pain or shortness of breath - talk to the coach or see your doctor. You should also inform the gym (physical education) teacher or coach if your child's health needs have changed in any way or if he or she is taking a new medication.

Just as professional sports stars need medical care to keep them playing their best, so do young athletes. Help give your kids the same edge as the pros by making sure they get their sports physicals.

        
       
2017 State Tournaments
 Scheel's Overland Park Soccer Complex
May 30th-June 7th 

Come out and support #TeamKansas #roadtofrisco

               
Coaching Requirements
Heartland Soccer League is sanctioned by Kansas Youth Soccer. There is a minimum coaching requirement. All recreational and premier coaches must complete the F license course. It is online and can be found at the following link. 
NATIONAL "F" LICENSE
 
Attention!
 
If you have a referee, coach, club, team or player accomplishment or photo that you would like to share please email Katie Falco at [email protected]
 
 
A SPECIAL THANKS TO ALL OUR SPONSORS  
3 Women and an Oven
4 Wheel Parts
7 Eleven
AB May
Academy Sports and Outdoors
Advocare
ALDI
Audi, Shawnee Mission
Benjamin Franklin Plumbing
Boy Scouts of America
Buca di Beppo
California Pizza Kitchen
Casey's
Chartroose Caboose
Chick fil A
Chili's
Columbia College
Costco
Dick's Sporting Goods
Drs. Hawks, Besler, Rogers & Stoppel
FC Kansas City
Freezing Moo Ice Cream
Fry Wagner
Gambino's Pizza
Global Connections
Goodcents
Grill Park Place
Grimaldi's
Hague Quality Water
Harlan C Parker State Farm
Hasty Awards
HCA Midwest Health
Huntington Learning Center
J&K Soccer
JF Consulting
Jimmy John's
Jon Russell's BBQ
KC Comets
Kumon
Legoland/Sea Life
Lenny's Subs
Levine Advertising
Market Leverage
Menorah Medical Center
Mickey Cotton Candy Man
Minsky's
Missouri Comets
Molle Toyota
 Momo Bands
Moneytalks Financial Foundation
 
Morrill & Janes Bank
Museum at Prairiefire
NAIA
 Nerium
Noodles and Co
Overland Park Regional Medical Center
Pacific Dental Services
Paciugo Gelato
Papa John's
Pickleman's
Pizza Hut
Pizzeria Locale
Presto-X
Price Chopper 
Raising Cane's
Research Medical Center
Rock and Brews
Rosati's of Overland Park
SeatGeek
Scheels
Scott the Electrican
Security Bank
Shred-It
Simple Science
Simply Soccer
Simplified Team Management
Slim Chickens
Smoothie King
Soccer Master
Sport Shake
Sporting Kansas City
Stinkboss
Storage Mart
Stroud's
Sunflower Bank
Swope Park Rangers
The Foot Spot
The KC Steak Company
The Roasterie
The Sports Medicine Store
The Storage Place
Timber Challenge
T-riffic T-shirts
University of Missouri Kansas City
Urban Air
Valley View Bank
Wendy's
Which Wich
Worlds of Fun/Oceans of Fun
Zaxby's 
Zip KC

Heartland Soccer is proud to announce a continued partnership with Sport Shake!
 

Sport Shake will be the title sponsor for two of Heartland's largest spring tournaments, The Sport Shake Kansas City Champions Cup  and  Sport Shake Midwest Mother's Day Classic.
"As a locally-owned brand, the Sport Shake team is excited to help promote The Sport Shake KC Champions Cup and Sport Shake Midwest Mother's Day Classic in our own backyard. Good luck to all the teams, and we hope to see you at our booth during all of Heartland Soccer's spring tournament weekends," says Ted Sowle, AVP Marketing for Dairy Farmers of America.
Registration has closed for  The Sport Shake Kansas City Champions Cup but you still have time to register for Sport Shake Midwest Mother's Day Classic.  Click here to register!
 
Sport Shake is a delicious, creamy milk shake that is made with real dairy and with no added growth hormones. It provides 9 grams of protein to help muscles recover, and an excellent source of calcium to build strong bones.  Sport Shake has more potassium in one serving than an entire banana to help replace what's lost in sweat during a strenuous practice or game. This nutritional profile helps soccer players recover quickly to show their power on the field the next day. Sport Shake is a great tasting REAL DAIRY POWER SHAKE in both a chocolate and vanilla flavor available at Price Chopper, Hy-Vee, Hen House, CVS and Amazon.com.  Visit SportShake.com or follow them on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for more information, and be sure to sample the product at upcoming Heartland Soccer tournaments.
Sport Shake is manufactured in the Midwest, where milk from surrounding Kansas and Missouri farms goes into the product.  The brand is owned by Dairy Farmers of America, Inc. ("DFA"), a dairy cooperative headquartered in Kansas City.  Each time Sport Shake is purchased, the profits go back to nearly 15,000 dairy farmers that own the company.
We encourage you to download a coupon and try a can of Sport Shake for FREE:  sportshake.freesamplerequest.com

Welcome to the Spring 2017 Season:
 595 teams are signed up for the Spring 2017 season in the Premier Divisions ages U9 - U12.  So many opportunities to help the players appreciate the beauty of the game of soccer and to learn how to be more responsible teammates and future citizens.  The coaches are ready (and we want to salute the "Coaches of the Year" from the 1st Annual Heartland Awards Gala).  The players are ready.  And, your Referees are also ready (Entry Level Clinics and Recertification classes for the 2017 playing year are finishing up in March).

And, we know that you, the parents and fans are preparing for spending your weekends at one of our great facilities watching the Heartland ecosystem parts make the beautiful game possible.
Soccer is a wonderful sport and a passionate game. Our attitude is contagious.  Our players, coaches, Referees, and fans come together to match soccer skills. The other team is our opponent, not our enemy, and should be treated with respect.  While winning is important, we recognize that playing well and fairly is the essence of the game.  

 It is important that you, as a parent of a youth soccer player, recognize that our young Referees are learning how to officiate the game much like your child is learning how to play the game. Most of the Referees are soccer players who, because of their love of the game have decided to pick up a whistle or a flag. Your Referees receive training and mentor reviews to improve their skills. We recently sent out a survey to our Heartland Referees.  In response to the question, what do you like least about being a Referee, the number one response was getting hollered at by the parents.  
Since it happens every season, we wanted to make our Spring introductory article about the "Elephant in the Room"- the few parents that go overboard with their passion, and to share the Heartland Parents Code of Conduct.

I/we will set a good example to my/our child in his/her soccer development by adhering always to the following:
  • We will not criticize the Referee openly or directly before, during or after games. Any criticism shall be done in writing (to the Referee Development Academy Director or the HSA League Director through the coach), not verbally.
  • We will only give positive feedback to players.
  • We will cheer at all games within the spirit of fair play and shall do our best to cheer the effort regardless of the outcome.
  • We shall show the quality of our sportsmanship during and after each match.
  • We shall do our very best to have our child prepared for every match.
  • We recognize many of the Referees are young and are learning to referee.   We agree to support their learning efforts as we do youth players.
  • We shall support the learning effort of both players and the Referees by demonstrating our patience.
  • We understand that improper behavior at a match; both league and tournaments may result in a parent being asked to leave the field or the event by a referee, field marshal or HSA Staff.
  • We shall leave the coaching to the coach during match. We shall do our best not to give our child instructions during the match.
  • We understand that (upon review) the HSA can, and will if necessary, suspend our individual privilege to watch our child play should we behave in a manner that is rude or otherwise offensive.
  • We agree to do our best to have as much fun watching the game, as the players should have playing the game.
Referees are not perfect.  When you have comments about their performance tell your coach and he can share the positives and areas for improvement with the Referee management team.  Thank you and we look forward to enjoying this Spring 2017 season with you!
  2017 Border Battle Tournament
February 24-26, Heartland Soccer Association partnered with GSI Sports to kick off the spring season by hosting the annual Border Battle Tournament at the Scheels Overland Park Soccer Complex. 
 
Border Battle, which is recognized as one of the top spring tournaments in the Midwest, attracted ECNL, NPL, State and Regional Champion teams from 8 different states. 

Heartland Soccer and GSI Sports welcomed 181 teams (a jump of 22 teams from 2016) from Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma. The tournament showcased competition in 35 divisions-23 boys and 12 girls.

Up next for Heartland will be The Sport Shake KC Champions Cup Tournament which is expected to bring in more than 400 teams. The tournament is set for April 7-9th with games being played at the Scheels Overland Park Soccer Complex and Swope Soccer Village.




2017 Border Battle Slideshow
2017 Border Battle Slideshow

Coaches Corner
Dribbling and finishing PART 2
-Set up appropriate size playing area as shown in diagram.
-Players are split into 4 teams with a ball per player.
-Each team starts by the side of their designated goal.
-All obstacles in middle maze are picked except one which is left in the middle of the square.
-The first player in each line has a ball.
-The next player in each line will act as a bounce player.
-On the coaches call the first player at each side dribbles their ball towards the middle obstacle, performs a 1v1 move (Double scissors, Ronaldo chop, Iniesta double touch etc) dribbles out the square, pass to the waiting bounce player and take a one touch shot on goal.
-Players must go to the right of the obstacle (change to the left of the obstacle every few turns).
-To encourage good quality finishing and bounce passes give each team 5 lives.
-Players lose a life for every goal missed.
-This also applies to the bounce player who passes back to the attacker who misses e.g. Blue passes to yellow, yellow passes back, blue misses, both teams lose a life.
-Lives are restored by scoring goals (max five lives).
-Play until a team loses all its lives or for a set time limit.


Mosher started reffing in August 2016 as a way to be challenged and stay active after graduating from college. In just a few months, it's easy for Mosher to pinpoint what he likes best about reffing- how quick, decisive, sharp and focused it requires him to be. At the same time, he realizes how easy it is to make mistakes, and how vital it is to put it behind you and stay focused on the task.

Shortly after becoming a ref, he decided he wanted to speed up the game and registered to ref futsal. Now, his goal is to one day be a PRO referee in the MLS and maybe go onto FIFA. 

When Mosher isn't on the field, you can find him volunteering for his church's Upward Soccer Program, which teaches kids the basics of the game and sportsmanship.

Between his passion of being a ref and volunteering, Mosher has been a great example to young referees. We want to thank him for his service and wish him the best of luck with future endeavors! Congratulations to Mosher for being named our Papa John's Referee of the Month!

More about Mosher:
Other jobs: Digital Marketing at Go Local Interactive
Last book he read: Fortune's Formula 
Favorite thing about the book: How they apply math to most things in life.
Favorite Movie Genres: Comedies, war movies and psychological thrillers
Last movie he saw: Harry Potter

 The Referee Corner: 
Changes for the Spring 2017 Season

The Heartland Soccer Association continues to make investments in support of your Heartland soccer experience.  The goal is not just to be good, but to get better and become the best.  This is the vision that the Referee Development Academy has been given by your Board of Directors.  A logical question would be:  What changes will we (coaches, players and fans) see this Spring, and why? 
Some things will not change:
  • The USSF directives prohibiting deliberate heading in matches for U9s, U10s and U11s will continue in the Spring.  The focus remains on safety.  If a player deliberately heads the ball, the Referee will blow the whistle and the restart will be an Indirect Free Kick at the place where the heading happened.
  • Substitutions will remain unlimited.  When Spring turns to summer and the temperature rises, you might see more scheduled water breaks (again a part of the player safety initiatives).
  • Jewelry is NOT allowed.  Every season we see young players with tape over their ears and discover that they recently got their ears pierced and are afraid the holes will close during the match.  And every season our Referees have to deny them the opportunity to play in that specific match.  
  • Heartland will continue our Referee Development Mentor program.  More experienced Referees helping our newer Referees to progress faster by sharing their knowledge is the crux of the Mentor program.  We have recruited additional Mentors for the Spring season.
Some things will change:
  • The size of the field for U9-U10.  Instead of four fields out of one, the Spring season will see Heartland return to two fields for the younger age groups.  
  • Laws of the Game 2016-2017.  In the Fall, we implemented the changes recommended by FIFA.  We will continue these changes in the Spring.  The most visible is kickoffs.  The Law now says, the ball is in play when it is kicked and clearly moves.  The other big change will be the sanctions for Denying an Obvious Goal Scoring Opportunity.  More on this as the season progresses.
  • Handshakes with the Referee crew at the end of the match.   The coaches want to keep the games closer to their scheduled time.  Here is the change: "We will be taking away the ceremonial handshake with the Referees.  The players will obviously still shake hands or high five with each other, but we have instructed the Referees to leave the field at the end of the game.  The reason for this is to expedite the activity between games to keep everything running on time".
  • A new Referee Feedback form.  We measure our success based on input from experienced Referees, coaches, players and you, the fans.  A new feedback form will be posted to the Heartland website to increase the input we get from the non-Referee customers.  The Feedback will be available to all leagues across the state.  The goal: identify trends so that we can address them through our education and mentoring programs.  We look forward to your input.
See you at the fields.




Name: Skyler
Team: Jambars
Experience: 10 years
Position: Midfielder

Name: Katelyn
Team: Hotspurs SC
Experience: 6 years
Position: Forward/ Midfield
               
 


By Betsy Kellerman, ATC/LAT, Manager of the Overland Park Regional Medical Center Sports Medicine and Concussion programs 
Participation in any sport, whether it's Pee-Wee soccer or the high school football playoffs, can teach kids to stretch their limits and learn sportsmanship and discipline. But many sports also carry the potential for injury. By knowing the causes of these injuries and how to prevent them, you can help make athletics a positive experience for your child.
Kids can be particularly at risk for sports injuries for a variety of reasons. Kids, especially those younger than eight years old, are less coordinated and have slower reaction times than adults because they are still growing and developing. Also, kids mature at different rates, with differences in height and weight between kids of the same age, so when those kids play sports together, there can be an increased risk of injury.
Preventing sports injuries
You can help protect your kids from being injured by following some simple guidelines:
  • Use proper equipment: It's important for kids to use proper equipment and safety gear that is the correct size and fits well. Ask your child's coach about the appropriate helmets, shoes, mouth guards, athletic supports (cups) and padding. Although not a league or school requirement for many sports, consider using protective eyewear, like shatterproof glasses.
  • Maintain and check appropriateness of playing surfaces: Check that playing fields are not full of holes and ruts that might cause kids to fall or trip. Kids doing high-impact sports, like basketball and running, should do them on surfaces like tracks and wooden basketball courts, which can be more forgiving than surfaces like concrete.
  • Employ adult supervision and commitment to safety: Any team sport or activity that kids participate in should be supervised by qualified adults. The team coach should have training in first aid and CPR, and the coach's philosophy should promote players' well-being over winning. (A coach with a win-at-all-costs attitude may encourage kids to play through injury and may not foster good sportsmanship.) Be sure that the coach enforces playing rules and requires that safety equipment be used at all times.
  • Prepare properly: Just as you wouldn't send a child who can't swim to a swimming pool, it's important not to send kids to play a sport that they're unprepared to play. Make sure that they know how to play the sport before going out on the field. Kids should be adequately prepared with warm-ups and training sessions before practices and before games. This will help ensure that they have fun and reduce the chances of an injury. They should also drink plenty of fluids and be allowed periods of rest during practices and games.
Common types of sports injuries
Three common types of sports injuries in kids and teens are acute injuries (like bruises, sprains and strains or broken bones), overuse injuries (like little league elbow, shin splints and swimmer's shoulder) and reinjuries (which happen when athletes return to a sport before an injury is healed).
Causes of acute injuries
Acute injuries often happen because of a lack of proper equipment or the use of improper equipment. For example, without protective eyewear, eye injuries are extremely common in basketball and racquet sports. And many kids playing baseball and softball have suffered broken legs or ankles from sliding into immobile bases.
Causes of overuse injuries
Overuse injuries can be caused or aggravated by growth spurts or an imbalance between strength and flexibility, inadequate warm-up, excessive activity, playing the same sport year-round or multiple sports during the same season, improper technique or unsuitable equipment.
Causes of reinjuries
Athletes are at a much greater risk for reinjury when they return to the game before recovering fully. Doing so places stress upon the injury and forces the body to compensate for the weakness, which can put the athlete at greater risk for injuring another body part. Once the doctor has approved a return to the sport, make sure that your child properly warms up and cools down before and after exercise.
Sudden exertion also can cause reinjury, so your child should re-enter the sport gradually. Explain that easing back into the game at a sensible pace is better than returning to the hospital!
Treating sports injuries
Treatment of sports injuries depends on the type of injury.
The best thing you can do for your young athletes is play it safe. If an injury appears to affect basic functioning in any way - for example, if your child can't bend a finger, is limping or has had a change in consciousness - first aid should be given immediately. A doctor should then see your child. If the injury seems to be more serious, it's important to take your child to the nearest ER.
Regardless of the injury, remember when recovery is complete, your child's technique or training schedule might need to be adjusted to prevent the injury from flaring up again.