Playing football with the family can be fun and good exercise. Unfortunately, many who participate in this recreational activity risk serious injury. Most ?weekend warriors? are not physically fit enough to avoid injury. These injuries can range from simple bruises and sprains to more serious incidents like broken bones and even concussions. So how do you prepare physically for family football and avoid injury while enjoying an invigorating and fun activity? Here are some key requirements.
Conditioning is basic to any sport. But too few recreational players bother to get in shape to play family football. The minimum requirement here includes both aerobics and strength training. Aerobics helps build lung endurance and strength training toughens the body for the inevitable hits sustained even in a touch foot ball game. To do no conditioning before playing puts the body at risk of serious injury.
Warming up the body before any physical activity is required. No athlete involved in any sport would think of playing without a proper warm-up. This can be very simple. It typically consists of running in place and some stretching exercises. But these activities get the body ready for strenuous play. So doing a warm-up program is highly recommended before any family football game.
Having the proper equipment is also important to avoid injury. For family football this normally consists of shoes, a jersey and pants. The shoes should be properly fitted sneakers or cleats. The jersey can have long or short sleeves and be fitted. The pants can be shorts, sweats or even jeans. But they too must be well fitted. It is unnecessary to wear any type of foot ball gear. This can be dangerous and is best worn in a regular game.
Following rules and regulations ensures increased protection in a game of family football. These should cover such items as field size, markers, blocking, tackling (if allowed), scoring, kicking, penalties and the like. It is wise to review the rules in advance of any game. In this way needless mistakes are not made and unnecessary injuries are avoided. Playing family football without rules invites chaos and potential injury for participants.
Play all who wish to play in a family football game. This includes smaller boys and girls. Therefore, the game must be played to suit the participants. Excessive rough play, when younger children or girls are involved, can cause unnecessary injuries. Keep the game fun for all by ensuring that the play matches the skill level (and size and sex) of the players.
Family football is an invigorating and fun pastime. However, it can become rough and threatening to less experienced players. By following these few simple guidelines family football can be enjoyed, without injury, by all who participate.
Robert J. Waugh, 2119 Main Street, Unit 2, Lubbock, TX 79401-2997, 1-806-792-0433
