Transitioning from Winter to Spring Sports

It’s starting to get warmer outside which means spring sports are on the horizon. With the coming of spring sports we see a lot of patients come into the clinic with pain / injuries associated with the change from winter sports to spring sports.


This week we received a great question that is featured in this weeks blog from Mary B.


“Hey Tony I have two kids that play basketball in the winter and are transitioning to softball and lacrosse this spring, what are some things that I should consider.”


We broke this down into 5 things to consider....

1. Surface - Changing from a hard wood floor to grass or turf can have an impact on your joints in regards to the load and how quickly you are stopping.
2. Footwear - Changing from comfortable sneakers to cleats that have been in storage for a year can create multiple problems. You want to ensure the footwear that you will be wearing is properly fit and gradually broken in to avoid blisters.
3. Clothing - Going from a climate controlled environment to outdoor sports you want to ensure you are dressed properly. Base layers and dressing in layers is a great way to ensure you are staying warm and aren’t over dressed.
4. Hydration - It is pretty easy to notice if you are sweating during an indoor activity but going outside in colder weather can create some difficulty in identifying how much fluid loss is taking place. Ensuring you are properly hydrated and fueled will help you avoid little niggles such as muscle cramps.
5. Primary muscles used - Certain sports are upper extremity dominate (baseball / softball) vs. some are lower extremity dominant (track / soccer) you want to make sure you are not doing too much too soon and creating the start of an overuse injury. 

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