Scoring a Goal [for Prevention

Abstract

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY REPRESENTS A KEY STRATegy for stemming the epidemics of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Team sports are a particularly good way to promote activity and its health benefits because teams create an environment that is fun and sociable. Furthermore, the skills that a player learns through team sports may result in a lifetime devotion to the sport. Students who participate in school sports are more likely to stay in school and to maintain an active lifestyle as they get older. Among teenagers, team sports may provide benefitsbeyondphysicalactivitybyfosteringdiscipline,providingasenseofbelonging,andpromotingapositivebody image, 1 which may be especially important among teenage girls. 2 Unfortunately,competitivesportscanalsoproduceinjuries. In the United States, an estimated 1.4 million injuries occur annually as a result of participation in high school sports alone. 3 Injuries are not only painful, they are also costly 4 ; moreover, injuries may prevent athletes from continuing to be active 5 and may cause long-term sequelae, including osteoarthritis. 6-8 Preventing injuries during participation in team sports should therefore be a health priority.