Children's Hospital Colorado

Sports Articles and Advice for Young Athletes

Crossing the finish line, scoring the goal, sticking the landing – sports can bring unforgettable moments to the lives of athletes. However, there is a lot of work required before reaching those exciting milestones. Our Sports medicine experts are here to support you every step, basket, flip or pirouette of the way.

Whether you’re an athlete, an athletic coach or a parent of an athlete, we have sports advice to help you succeed. From nutrition that will help fuel you for the game to information on how to treat concussions, our sports medicine experts are here to help.

Recent sports medicine articles

Hyper Hydration in Young Athletes

While it’s important to keep hydrated, understanding the difference between quenching a thirst and over hydration can keep young athletes healthy and on the field.

Why Dancers Need Adequate Nutrition for Whole Body Health

Dance is a strenuous sport that requires proper nutrition to maintain proper health and endurance. Find tips from our experts on how to use food as fuel, maintain bone health and stay hydrated for practice and performance.

Creatine, Creatine Supplements and Adolescent Athletes

While creatine supplements may sound appealing to young athletes, do they really need them? Learn more about creatine and creatine supplements from our pediatric sports dietitian.

What to Know About Carbohydrate and Sugar for Athletes

Carbohydrate and sugar are essential for active kids to grow and maintain adequate nutrition and energy for sport. Society sometimes labels them as “bad,” but really, it's about helping your child choose what they eat and when, so they get the most benefit.

Fruit and Vegetable Servings for Children

Learn about proper servings of fruit and vegetables for children, and how to get children to eat them, from our specialists.

Training Reflexes to Reduce Athletic Injury Risk (and Improve Performance)

Learn about reducing the risk of injury and improving performance through proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation, the training of reflexes.

Building a High Performance Lunch for Athletes

Easy tips for packing a nutritious lunch that can boost sports performance for the young athlete.

Preventing Youth Sports Injury: How Strength Conditioning Helps

Complete prevention of youth sports injuries isn’t possible but incorporating strength and conditioning can help. Additionally, reinjury can occur if an athlete returns to play to soon after injury.

Why Growth Plate Injuries Are a Risk for Young Athletes

Growth plates add length to the long bones of the arms and legs. During adolescence, when they’re growing fastest, they’re also most susceptible to injury.

Performance Enhancement in Youth Sports

Sports performance enhancement is different than performance-enhancing drugs. And actually, performance enhancement can provide several benefits for young athletes.