Sports Safety... Bike Safety... Streetwise Corner: Safety in Numbers... Phone Overload... Safe Outing Tip... Internet Safety

Spring Training:
Get Your Game On and Avoid Injury
As winter turns to spring, more kids will be outdoors, playing baseball and soccer, and on play equipment, bikes, skates and skateboards. Sports keep children physically fit and feeling good about themselves. But
the number of injuries to kids can increase too.

To make sure your child stays safe this season, here are a few tips:
<back to top>

Sports Safety

1) Get a general physical exam before signing up for a sport.

2) Always wear appropriate protective gear for the activity—for practice as well as games. Make sure it’s the right size and adjusted properly. Don’t wear sneakers for baseball and don’t wear a baseball helmet while biking, and vice-versa.

3) Always do your warm-ups and cool-downs, before and after the game and at practice. This increases your flexibility and strengthens muscles used in play.

4) Never “play through” an injury. Get immediate help from a coach or trainer and be sure to mention everything that hurts or aches.

5) Make sure responsible adults know and enforce the safety rules of the sport, are present to provide supervision, and are trained in first aid and CPR.

6) If you’re playing outside, wear SPF 15 or higher sunscreen.

7) Stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water or electrolyte sports drinks before and during the activity, and rest frequently during hot weather. Stay away from caffeinated or carbonated beverages (i.e., “energy” drinks) which cause you to crash and burn and actually take fluids out of your body.

8) Minimize strenuous cardiovascular activities (jumping, running) when air conditions are bad.

9) Know the weather conditions; stop outdoor activity if threatened by thunderstorms.
• When you can count 30 seconds or less between lightning and thunder, head for safe shelter – avoid tall objects, metal objects, and water.
• Remain sheltered for 30 minutes after the last clap of thunder.

<back to top>

resources: National Safe Kids Campaign, usa.safekids.org, kidsource.com, Sports Institue Resource Centre

Bike Safety

1) Check your equipment
• Wear a properly fitted helmet.
• Make sure your tires are inflated properly and that your brakes work.
• Make sure your bike is at the correct height. The seat height should be adjusted to allow
a slight bend at the knee when the leg is fully extended.

2) See, be seen; hear, and be heard – Get a headlight and a rear light, hopefully one that flashes. Get a horn. Wear bright clothing during the day, reflective clothing at night. No headphones.

Safe Street Riding

+ Obey traffic signs and signals - Bicycles must follow the rules of the road like other vehicles.

+ Go with the traffic flow. Ride in the same direction as other vehicles. Ride in areas of slow traffic so you can keep up.

+ Don’t pass on the right - Motorists may not look for or see a bicycle passing on the right.

+ Scan the road behind you - Learn to look back over your shoulder without losing your
balance or swerving. (over)

+ Be predictable. Ride in a straight line and signal your moves to others (hand signals, voice when passing pedestrians, horn when warning backing vehicles).

+ Keep both hands ready to brake - You may not stop in time if you brake one-handed. Allow extra distance for stopping in the rain, since brakes are less efficient when wet.

+ Take up the whole lane by riding in the middle of the lane. And stop behind a car, never to the right of one where it might make a turn in front of you because you were in its blind spot.

+ Choose the best way to turn left – There are two choices: (1) Like an auto: signal to move into the left turn lane and then turn left. (2) Like a pedestrian: ride straight to the far side crosswalk. Walk your bike across.

+ Make eye contact with drivers - Assume that other drivers don’t see you until you are sure that they do.
Eye contact is important with any driver which might pose a threat to your safety.

+ Look out for road hazards - Watch out for parallel -slat sewer grates, gravel, ice, sand or debris. Cross
railroad tracks at right angles.

The safest place for bicycle riding is on the street where bicycles are expected to follow the same rules of the road, BUT children less than 10 years old should ride on the sidewalk, as they are not mature enough to make the decisions necessary to safely ride in the street.

Sidewalk Riding *only where permissible by law

+ Watch for vehicles coming out of or turning into driveways

+ Stop at corners of sidewalks (never between parked cars) and streets to look for cars and to make sure the drivers see you before crossing.

*check the law in your State to see if sidewalk riding is okay.
<back to top>

source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Streetwise Corner
Safety in Numbers
Kids:
1) Always travel with a buddy-- to school, to the park, shopping, to public restrooms.
It’s more fun, you’re more easily seen, and it’ll make you less likely to be abducted, bullied or hit by a car.

2) Know your chaperone’s phone number when you go out so you can stay connected to him/her should you become separated.

3) If you are being followed by a stranger, don’t run and hide. Go where there are other people. There,
others can hear your voice and help you.
<back to top>

Safe Outing Tip #3
If alone, walk with your chin up, a sure stride, and avoid wearing headphones. An alert and confident looking person is less likely to be victimized.
<back to top>

Internet Safety
Girl Scouts vs. Online Predators and Cyberbullies
Kudos to the Girls Scouts and Microsoft for creating an online resource that raises awareness about how to keep girls safe while surfing the Web. The site, lmk.girlscouts.org, allows girls to share their online concerns about predators, cyberbullying, and social networking, with peer teen “tech-perts”.
The campaign includes an interactive website for girls (lmk.girlscouts.org) and an e-newsletter and website for parents/adults (letmeknow.girlscouts.org).
<back to top>