Health Concerns for Children’s Baseball Leagues

By Frankie Wallace
Updated: September 19, 2019

When it comes to teaching kids important lessons about teamwork, keeping them active, and even helping them make friends, getting kids playing baseball can be a great strategy. If children are introduced to the sport when they’re young, they can continue to develop their talents and enjoy baseball in middle school and high school, and sometimes even beyond.

Sports offer many benefits to kids and can incentivize them to put down their phones and step away from the computer to enjoy some time outdoors. Increased physical activity also offers plenty of health benefits, including increased fitness, cardiovascular training, and improved hand-eye coordination. But as great as baseball is, it can also pose some health concerns for children that parents and coaches need to be aware of.

Nutrition and Hydration

With the increased activity that comes with playing in a baseball league, children involved in sports have different nutritional needs. Kids need to fuel up repeatedly throughout the day, and eating a healthy snack before an after-school baseball practice or game is important. A snack that’s rich in carbohydrates and that contains some protein will give kids the energy they need to play their best. Smoothies, granola, and apples with peanut butter are some good pre-game or pre-practice choices.

It’s also important to understand the value that a good breakfast offers kids. Breakfast helps kids to stay focused and helps to regulate blood sugar levels. Skipping breakfast can also result in increased blood sugar spikes throughout the day. Offer kids breakfast foods that don’t contain a lot of sugar, and be sure that the foods contain protein and vitamins. Omelets with vegetables, boiled eggs, and healthy breakfast wraps are all good options.

Keeping players hydrated is another safety concern. When children are at practices or games, make sure that they have plenty of water or a sports drink with them to stay hydrated. Coaches can help by regularly providing players with breaks to drink, and by reminding players to drink when they come off the field during a game.

Injury Prevention

Like any sport, baseball can bring about its fair share of injuries, but there are also many ways to keep kids as safe as possible on the field. Preventing injuries starts with outfitting kids in appropriate, well-fitting safety equipment, such as batting helmets. Teams should regularly be reminded to apply and reapply sunscreen during the course of a practice or game.

Coaches and parents can teach kids techniques for keeping their eye on the ball when hitting. These drills can teach kids to focus and can also help to keep them safe from being hit by a ball.

The physical exertion of the game can result in strained muscles, and the pressure to perform can lead to kids feeling stressed. Teaching children exercises designed to strengthen their backs while alleviating stress can help with both of these problems. These stretches and exercises can be done daily, and they take only minutes to do, so kids can work them into their schedule before school, before practice, or before bed.

Coaches also play an important role in helping to prevent injuries to their players. Coaches can implement a team stretching routine before every practice and game, and also talk with their players about why stretching is important and what types of injuries can result if kids don’t take the time to stretch.

Environmental Safety

Baseball leagues also need to recognize and take responsibility for the safety of their fields. Fields need to be well-groomed and well-maintained to ensure there aren’t hidden holes or other safety issues that could put players at risk. The same is true of maintaining dugouts, fences, and bleachers.

Asbestos is a hidden danger that, surprisingly, is risking children’s health in baseball fields today. The El Dorado Hills suburb of Sacramento, California, was built on asbestos-bearing rock, and that asbestos is still present — and a threat — today. When the Environmental Protection Agency tested the suburb’s baseball field, they found that playing on the field and stirring up dust increased the airborne asbestos levels by 22 times.

Asbestos carries serious health risks and is linked to mesothelioma, lung cancer, gastrointestinal cancers, and asbestosis, a chronic lung disease. While asbestos was largely contained in insulation, cement, and even floor tiles, its use was regulated by the government in the 1970s. Asbestos in these materials is only harmful if it becomes airborne, such as during construction or renovation, but when it’s in the rock that some parks have been built on, it could be threatening children’s safety daily.

Baseball leagues and public safety officials need to be aware of the potential presence of asbestos in environments that children frequent. Additionally, parents and coaches can pull together to request testing or to ask for important maintenance or safety updates to facilities. Baseball, the great American pastime, can change kids’ lives for the better as long as we all work to keep them safe while they’re playing.