Trust and Teamwork: The Essential Ingredients of an Effective Treatment Plan for your Athlete

Team spirit is an essential factor in the success of a sports activity. As parents, you can also count on teamwork to help your child practice his or her favourite sport in a healthy way. Whether you’re the designated driver, the Sunday morning motivator, the number one fan, the travelling chequebook or even an impromptu nurse, the roles you undertake occur in multiple forms, each more important and complex than the previous one. Although you may be very involved and committed, it is nonetheless crucial to surround yourself with the right people to keep up with today’s trends!

Fortunately for you, we live in a social context where the whole world revolves around your athlete and the important relationships amongst the following players: family, coach, teammates and health professionals all work together and develop a bond of trust that is essential to the psychological and physical development of your young athlete.

Development

Childhood and adolescence are key periods in human physical development. Bones and muscles undergo many changes with each growth spurt, particularly in volume and density, which leads to normal skeletal and muscular imbalances. This makes it all the more important to pay attention to the equipment used, develop proper training techniques and take care of the injuries your child incurs, even a minor sprained ankle, especially if he or she plays sports on a regular basis. While some ailments are quite common, such as flat feet, Sever’s disease or a sprained ankle, others can disrupt growth and create micro-injuries that damage the body structure. A podiatric consultation can help prevent aggravating factors and allow your child to progress in a safe manner.

Support

The notions of time and consistency differ according to the age and personality of each person. That’s why it’s important to remember that a child…is a child. For them, being slowed down against their will, suffering or having to submit to a new routine can be challenging. In addition, at any age, but especially during childhood and adolescence, they need to feel understood, reassured and have the sentiment that someone is listening.

As stated in the profession’s code of ethics, “The podiatrist shall seek to establish and maintain a relationship of mutual trust between himself and his patient, and shall refrain from practicing his profession in an impersonal manner.”    – D. 1162-2015, s. 12.

The linguistic origin of the word trust means “to have faith in or rely on something, on someone”. What could be more reassuring than knowing that your DPM (Doctor of Podiatric Medicine) is there to supervise your child’s sports discipline in order to minimize injury risk factors and their adverse effects on your child’s growth. Inevitably your child will likely get injured or suffer discomfort at some point and there’s nothing unusual about that. Watching them literally climb the walls, get excited about the littlest things and be overly energetic on a daily basis will surely foreshadow the inevitable!

A podiatrist will develop a coherent structure with you, to be put in place in order to promote some autonomy in the youth’s treatment plan. He or she will also support you so that everyone shares the same goals and has a positive influence on the athlete’s motivation to apply the appropriate techniques. If needed, the podiatrist can also teach you how to recognize the warning signs of an injury.

Do not hesitate to contact your podiatrist if you notice a change in your child’s gait, a loss of interest in their sport due to a “boo-boo” or if you have any questions about the equipment and clothing to choose. We’ll be happy to share in your passion by helping your child practice their activity in the right way and, therefore, continue to have fun for as long as possible.