We have seen a huge increase in injuries in youth sports in recent years. One of the main concerns of many healthcare professionals is the amount of time kids spend playing sports now. In this Ask Dr. Geier video, I answer the question from a coach of young athletes about how many games each week kids should play.

Richard asks:
In your opinion is 4 games in a week too much at an under-13 level? My players are expected to play this amount of games Saturday to Saturday.

Children and adolescents do not have the same muscle strength as mature athletes, so their bones and joints are more susceptible to overuse injuries from wear and tear. There is not a set number of games or practices that kids should not be allowed to exceed. Instead, I discuss an easy way to determine how much training is enough for your child each week.

Also read:
Ask Dr. Geier – Preventing youth pitching injuries
Ask Dr. Geier: Osteochondritis dissecans in a young athlete

How many games each week should young soccer players play?

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