Sports injuries in young athletes include sudden injuries such as sprains and gradual overuse problems such as growth-plate pain, tendon pain and stress injuries. Growing bodies are especially sensitive to rapid increases in training, too much of one sport and too little recovery. Most can be prevented or managed with sensible load, varied sport and good strength and movement training.
Also known as youth sports injuries, overuse injuries in children, growth-related sports injuries
Symptoms
- Pain that builds during or after training and is worse over time
- Pain at growth areas such as the heel, below the knee or around the pelvis
- Swelling, stiffness or loss of movement
- A drop in performance, tiredness or loss of enthusiasm
- Limping or changing technique to avoid pain
Causes and risk factors
- Sudden jumps in training, matches or competition
- Specialising in one sport year-round at a young age
- Training more hours per week than the child's age in years
- Growth spurts, when bones, muscles and tendons are adapting
- Poor sleep, low energy intake and limited rest days
What the evidence says helps
- The IOC consensus on youth athletic development recommends athlete-centred training, varied sport participation, age-appropriate competition and regular strength and conditioning to reduce injury risk.1
- A meta-analysis found neuromuscular warm-up programmes (strength, balance, jumping and landing) reduced lower-limb injury risk in youth sport by about a third.2
- Highly specialised young athletes had a higher risk of overuse injury than less specialised peers in a meta-analysis, which supports multi-sport participation.3
- In a large case-control study, training more hours per week than age in years, or a ratio of organised sport to free play above 2:1, was linked with more serious overuse injuries.4
- Supervised, age-appropriate resistance training is considered safe for young people and may help reduce sports injuries, according to an international consensus.5
Things you can try at home
- Build training up gradually and plan rest days and breaks from the main sport
- Play a variety of sports, especially before the mid-teens
- Use a structured warm-up that includes strength, balance and landing practice
- Take pain that lasts more than a few days seriously – reduce load rather than playing through it
- Prioritise sleep and regular meals, especially during heavy training or growth spurts
When to get urgent help
Contact your GP urgently, call NHS 111, or call 999 in an emergency if you have:
- Unable to bear weight, an obvious deformity or severe swelling after injury – go to A&E
- Head injury with headache, vomiting, confusion or drowsiness – call 999 or go to A&E
- Night pain, pain at rest, or pain with fever or weight loss – see a GP urgently
- Sudden hip or knee pain with a limp in a teenager – see a GP the same day, as hip growth plate problems need urgent checks
- Repeated stress injuries, missed periods or rapid weight loss – see a GP
How Apollo can help
We assess the injury alongside your child's growth stage, training load and movement, and explain the findings to them, their family and, if helpful, their coach. Care may include rehabilitation exercises, load and return-to-sport planning, strength and movement testing, and hands-on care where appropriate. We refer to the GP or specialists when needed.
No GP referral needed. Clinics in Sheringham, Coltishall and Norwich.
Related reading
Frequently asked questions
Is strength training safe for children?
Yes, when it is supervised, age-appropriate and progressed sensibly. International guidance supports it for health, performance and injury prevention.
How much sport is too much for a child?
Research suggests risk rises when weekly hours of organised sport exceed a child's age in years, or when organised training greatly outweighs free play. Rest days and breaks also matter.
Should my child specialise in one sport?
Experts generally advise playing a range of sports until the mid-teens. Intensive early specialisation is linked with more overuse injuries.
References
- Bergeron MF, et al. (2015). International Olympic Committee consensus statement on youth athletic development. British Journal of Sports Medicine. View source
- Emery CA, et al. (2015). Neuromuscular training injury prevention strategies in youth sport: a systematic review and meta-analysis. British Journal of Sports Medicine. View source
- Bell DR, et al. (2018). Sport specialization and risk of overuse injuries: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Pediatrics. View source
- Jayanthi NA, et al. (2015). Sports-specialized intensive training and the risk of injury in young athletes: a clinical case-control study. American Journal of Sports Medicine. View source
- Lloyd RS, et al. (2014). Position statement on youth resistance training: the 2014 International Consensus. British Journal of Sports Medicine. View source
This page is general information, not a diagnosis or a substitute for medical advice. If you are worried about your symptoms, speak to your GP or a registered healthcare professional. Content prepared from the sources above, November 2026.
