Youth Sports Camps and Overuse Injuries: What Parents Should Know

Summer is one of the busiest seasons for young athletes across Wisconsin. From baseball diamonds in Watertown to soccer fields in Madison and basketball courts in Middleton, sports camps offer children an opportunity to stay active, improve their skills and build confidence alongside teammates and friends.

While sports camps provide many benefits, the increase in activity can also raise the risk of repetitive overuse injuries, especially in growing athletes. Unlike a sprain or fracture that occurs suddenly, overuse injuries develop gradually over time when repetitive stress is placed on muscles, tendons, bones or joints without enough opportunity for recovery. As a parent, knowing what to watch for can help keep your child healthy, active and enjoying the sports they love all summer long.

Understanding Overuse Injuries

Children’s bodies are still growing and developing. Research suggests that up to 50% of sports injuries in young athletes are related to overuse. When children participate in the same sport year-round or experience sudden increases in practice, games, or camp participation, the body may not have enough time to recover between activities. Over time, this repetitive stress can lead to injuries affecting muscles, tendons, bones, and growth plates.

Some of the most common overuse injuries seen in young athletes include:

• Osgood-Schlatter disease, which causes pain and tenderness just below the  kneecap at the tibial tubercle, where the patellar tendon attaches to the shinbone. This is common in children who run and jump frequently. 
• Sever’s disease, a common cause of heel pain in active children and adolescents when repetitive stress and pulling from the Achilles tendon irritate the growth plate at the back of the heel bone (calcaneus). 
• Shin splints, which cause discomfort along the inside edge shinbone (tibia) after repetitive impact activities. 
• Little League elbow, an overuse injury associated with repetitive throwing motions that affects the growth plate and surrounding structures on the inside of the elbow
• Stress fractures, small cracks in a bone that develop when repetitive stress exceeds the body’s ability to heal.

While these conditions are common, they should never be considered a normal part of sports participation.

“Most overuse injuries can be treated with rest or temporary removal from activity and anti-inflammatories but symptoms that linger should be evaluated by a physician,” said Aaron M. Carpiaux, orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist at OSCW.

Why Summer Sports Camps Can Increase Injury Risk

Many sports camps involve multiple hours of practice each day, often for several consecutive days or weeks. For young athletes who may have already completed a school sports season, this additional workload can place significant demands on the body.

Several factors can increase the likelihood of an overuse injury:

• Rapid increases in training intensity or frequency 
• Repetitive movements, such as throwing, kicking, jumping or running
• Limited recovery time between activities 
• Participation in multiple teams, camps or sports simultaneously 
• Fatigue, which can affect movement mechanics and increase stress on joints and muscles

Parents are often surprised to learn that injuries can develop even when their child has not experienced a specific fall, collision or accident.

Signs Parents Shouldn’t Ignore

One of the biggest misconceptions in youth sports is that pain is simply part of being an athlete. While mild muscle soreness after activity can be normal, persistent pain or swelling is not.

Parents should pay close attention if their child experiences:

• Pain during or after activity that continues for several days 
• Swelling or tenderness around a joint 
• Limping or changes in running form 
• Reduced performance or increased fatigue 
• Pain that worsens with continued participation 
• Reluctance to participate in practices or games

Children can’t always communicate discomfort clearly. Sometimes the first sign of a problem is a noticeable change in their movement, performance or enthusiasm for sports.

Helping Young Athletes Stay Healthy

Preventing overuse injuries involves creating healthy habits that allow young athletes to train safely and recover properly.

One of the most important strategies is ensuring adequate rest. Recovery days give muscles, bones and joints time to repair and adapt to training demands.

Parents can also encourage children to participate in a variety of activities throughout the year. Cross-training helps develop different muscle groups, improves overall athleticism and reduces repetitive stress on the same areas of the body.

Proper technique and movement mechanics are also essential. Coaches, trainers and sports medicine specialists can help identify movement patterns that may contribute to injury risk.

When to Seek Medical Evaluation

While rest can often help with minor soreness, ongoing pain should not be ignored. Continuing to play through an injury may lead to more serious problems and a longer recovery period.

Parents should consider scheduling an evaluation if their child has:

• Pain that does not improve with rest 
• Recurrent swelling 
• Limited range of motion 
• Difficulty participating in sports or daily activities 
• A noticeable change in movement or athletic performance

Early evaluation can help identify the source of the problem before it becomes more severe. In many cases, treatment may involve activity modification, physical therapy, strengthening exercises or other non-surgical approaches designed to help young athletes return to play safely.

Supporting a Lifetime of Healthy Activity

By recognizing the signs of overuse injuries and encouraging healthy training habits, parents can help their children enjoy sports safely while protecting their long-term health.

At Orthopedic & Spine Centers of Wisconsin, our sports medicine specialists care for athletes of all ages throughout South Central Wisconsin. If your child is experiencing pain, dealing with a sports-related injury or struggling to return to activity, our team is here to help them recover safely and get back to doing what they love.