{"id":292092,"date":"2026-08-12T13:46:51","date_gmt":"2026-08-12T18:46:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.southcoast.org\/?post_type=news&p=292092"},"modified":"2026-08-12T13:46:52","modified_gmt":"2026-08-12T18:46:52","slug":"doctors-note-aug-2026","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.southcoast.org\/es\/news\/doctors-note-aug-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Ready for the Season: Essential Youth Sports Safety Tips"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dr. John Ponti, CAQSM<\/strong>
25 de agosto de 2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The return to the classroom also marks the kickoff for youth sports leagues. Whether your child is a varsity veteran or exploring a brand-new sport, keeping health and safety at the forefront is vital. This month, Dr. John Ponti from Southcoast Physicians Group Orthopedics & Orthopedic Surgery offers vital guidance to ensure your young competitor stays energized, protected, and clear of the injury list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Laying the Groundwork<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if your local school board does not mandate a formal athletic clearance, booking a pre-season checkup with your Primary Care Provider is a critical first step. This evaluation confirms your child is physically prepared for the demands of their sport. Furthermore, it allows doctors to catch and manage any hidden medical conditions before they cause problems on the field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Equally vital is a thorough check of your child’s safety gear. Ensure that items like footwear, helmets, guards, and padding fit correctly and remain in excellent structural shape. Using worn-out or poorly fitted gear increases the risk of avoidable injuries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Building up Gradually<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every workout should kick off with a thorough warm-up to prep the muscular system, and wrap up with a cool-down routine to accelerate recovery. Dr. Ponti advises incorporating low-intensity jogging and dedicated stretching into these routines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf your child spent most of the summer relaxing, you want to scale up their exercise levels incrementally to safely develop their stamina, power, and range of motion,\u201d Dr. Ponti explains. \u201cRushing into high-intensity training too quickly is a fast track to a bench-pressing injury.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fueling and Fluid Intake<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Serving balanced meals packed with clean proteins, fresh produce, and whole grains delivers the essential fuel needed for peak athletic performance. Proper fluid intake is just as foundational. Make sure young athletes are drinking water consistently before, during, and after every training session and competitive event to ward off dehydration. Maintaining proper fluid levels is paramount during heavy exertion, so keep water bottles filled and steer clear of sweetened beverages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tuning Into Body Signals<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Teach your children to stay highly aware of how their bodies feel during exertion. If they experience aches or sudden discomfort, they must pause their activity and immediately notify a coach or supervising adult. \u201cMasking or overriding pain frequently triggers much more severe damage,\u201d notes Dr. Ponti. \u201cParents should make sure their kids get plenty of sleep and allow their bodies proper time to mend if they show signs of physical distress.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Should an athletic mishap occur, arrange for medical evaluation right away \u2014 never permit a child to tough it out on the field while hurting.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":292093,"template":"","categories":[1229],"class_list":["post-292092","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-expert-insights"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nReady for the Season: Essential Youth Sports Safety Tips - Southcoast Health<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The return to the classroom also marks the kickoff for youth sports leagues. This month, Dr. John Ponti from Southcoast Physicians Group Orthopedics & Orthopedic Surgery offers vital guidance to ensure your young competitor stays energized, protected, and clear of the injury list.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.southcoast.org\/es\/news\/doctors-note-aug-2026\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"es_MX\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Ready for the Season: Essential Youth Sports Safety Tips - Southcoast Health\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The return to the classroom also marks the kickoff for youth sports leagues. This month, Dr. John Ponti from Southcoast Physicians Group Orthopedics & Orthopedic Surgery offers vital guidance to ensure your young competitor stays energized, protected, and clear of the injury list.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.southcoast.org\/es\/news\/doctors-note-aug-2026\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Southcoast Health\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-12T18:46:52+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.southcoast.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Southcoast-Health-Welcomes-Tasnim-F.-Imran-MD-MPH-FACC-as-the-New-Medical-Director-of-Cardiac-MRI-2.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"900\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.southcoast.org\/news\/doctors-note-aug-2026\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.southcoast.org\/news\/doctors-note-aug-2026\/\",\"name\":\"Ready for the Season: Essential Youth Sports Safety Tips - Southcoast Health\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.southcoast.org\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.southcoast.org\/news\/doctors-note-aug-2026\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.southcoast.org\/news\/doctors-note-aug-2026\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.southcoast.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Southcoast-Health-Welcomes-Tasnim-F.-Imran-MD-MPH-FACC-as-the-New-Medical-Director-of-Cardiac-MRI-2.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-08-12T18:46:51+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-08-12T18:46:52+00:00\",\"description\":\"The return to the classroom also marks the kickoff for youth sports leagues. This month, Dr. John Ponti from Southcoast Physicians Group Orthopedics & Orthopedic Surgery offers vital guidance to ensure your young competitor stays energized, protected, and clear of the injury list.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.southcoast.org\/news\/doctors-note-aug-2026\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"es-MX\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.southcoast.org\/news\/doctors-note-aug-2026\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"es-MX\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.southcoast.org\/news\/doctors-note-aug-2026\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.southcoast.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Southcoast-Health-Welcomes-Tasnim-F.-Imran-MD-MPH-FACC-as-the-New-Medical-Director-of-Cardiac-MRI-2.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.southcoast.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Southcoast-Health-Welcomes-Tasnim-F.-Imran-MD-MPH-FACC-as-the-New-Medical-Director-of-Cardiac-MRI-2.png\",\"width\":1920,\"height\":900,\"caption\":\"Dr. John Ponti, MD\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.southcoast.org\/news\/doctors-note-aug-2026\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.southcoast.org\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Ready for the Season: Essential Youth Sports Safety Tips\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.southcoast.org\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.southcoast.org\/\",\"name\":\"Southcoast Health\",\"description\":\"More than medicine.\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.southcoast.org\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"es-MX\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Ready for the Season: Essential Youth Sports Safety Tips - Southcoast Health","description":"The return to the classroom also marks the kickoff for youth sports leagues. This month, Dr. John Ponti from Southcoast Physicians Group Orthopedics & Orthopedic Surgery offers vital guidance to ensure your young competitor stays energized, protected, and clear of the injury list.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.southcoast.org\/es\/news\/doctors-note-aug-2026\/","og_locale":"es_MX","og_type":"article","og_title":"Ready for the Season: Essential Youth Sports Safety Tips - Southcoast Health","og_description":"The return to the classroom also marks the kickoff for youth sports leagues. This month, Dr. John Ponti from Southcoast Physicians Group Orthopedics & Orthopedic Surgery offers vital guidance to ensure your young competitor stays energized, protected, and clear of the injury list.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.southcoast.org\/es\/news\/doctors-note-aug-2026\/","og_site_name":"Southcoast Health","article_modified_time":"2026-08-12T18:46:52+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1920,"height":900,"url":"https:\/\/www.southcoast.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Southcoast-Health-Welcomes-Tasnim-F.-Imran-MD-MPH-FACC-as-the-New-Medical-Director-of-Cardiac-MRI-2.png","type":"image\/png"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.southcoast.org\/news\/doctors-note-aug-2026\/","url":"https:\/\/www.southcoast.org\/news\/doctors-note-aug-2026\/","name":"Ready for the Season: Essential Youth Sports Safety Tips - Southcoast Health","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.southcoast.org\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.southcoast.org\/news\/doctors-note-aug-2026\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.southcoast.org\/news\/doctors-note-aug-2026\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.southcoast.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Southcoast-Health-Welcomes-Tasnim-F.-Imran-MD-MPH-FACC-as-the-New-Medical-Director-of-Cardiac-MRI-2.png","datePublished":"2026-08-12T18:46:51+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-12T18:46:52+00:00","description":"The return to the classroom also marks the kickoff for youth sports leagues. This month, Dr. John Ponti from Southcoast Physicians Group Orthopedics & Orthopedic Surgery offers vital guidance to ensure your young competitor stays energized, protected, and clear of the injury list.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.southcoast.org\/news\/doctors-note-aug-2026\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"es-MX","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.southcoast.org\/news\/doctors-note-aug-2026\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"es-MX","@id":"https:\/\/www.southcoast.org\/news\/doctors-note-aug-2026\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.southcoast.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Southcoast-Health-Welcomes-Tasnim-F.-Imran-MD-MPH-FACC-as-the-New-Medical-Director-of-Cardiac-MRI-2.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.southcoast.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Southcoast-Health-Welcomes-Tasnim-F.-Imran-MD-MPH-FACC-as-the-New-Medical-Director-of-Cardiac-MRI-2.png","width":1920,"height":900,"caption":"Dr. John Ponti, MD"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.southcoast.org\/news\/doctors-note-aug-2026\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"","item":"https:\/\/www.southcoast.org\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Ready for the Season: Essential Youth Sports Safety Tips"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.southcoast.org\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.southcoast.org\/","name":"Southcoast Health","description":"M\u00e1s que medicina.","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.southcoast.org\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"es-MX"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.southcoast.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/292092","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.southcoast.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.southcoast.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.southcoast.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.southcoast.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/292092\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":292094,"href":"https:\/\/www.southcoast.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/292092\/revisions\/292094"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.southcoast.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/292093"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.southcoast.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=292092"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.southcoast.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=292092"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}