The Camp & School Zone 02-26-20

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AN ANTON MEDIA GROUP SPECIAL

FEBRUARY 26  MARCH 3, 2020

THE CAMP&

SCHOOL

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ZONE

Raising Body-Positive Children

BY GRAZIELLA SIMONETTI

specialsections@antonmediagroup.com

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hildren as young as 5 years old report not liking their bodies. According to Common Sense Media, by age seven, one in four children will have tried some form of dieting behavior. Eating disorder hospitalizations for children under 12 have spiked 112 percent between the years 1999 and 2006. Parents play an important role in impacting how children feel about their bodies.

Here are some tips:

FOOD TALK: Using judgmental words such as “good” or “bad” about food can create anxiety around eating and can lead to complicated relationships with food. One may identify as being “bad” when eating “bad food.” When we judge the food,we judge the eater of the food. Terms such as “sometimes food” and “any-time food” remove the shame connected to food while also encouraging self-regulation. Highlight how nutrients in food can lead to good health, such as

how eating nuts can help build brains or how eating carrots can help protect eyes.

COMBAT STEREOTYPES: Media can strongly influence body image. Avoid shows and movies that have highly sexualized or stereotypical storylines. Pay attention to body portrayals. Even shows and toys that are targeted towards toddlers and preschoolers can have messages about gender and body

see POSITIVITY on page 25A

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24A FEBRUARY 26 - MARCH 3, 2020 • THE CAMP & SCHOOL ZONE

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Knowing When To Play Ball Preparing young pitchers for little league

BY RUSSELL CAMHI

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f you’ve been around baseball long enough, you’ve probably heard or seen this horrific story: a young and talented pitcher has a menu of pitches—including a slider and a curveball—that dominate the rest of the league. Yet, his pitching career is cut short because he blew out his elbow or shoulder.

Players, parents,coaches, league administrators and health care providers have often debated the appropriate age for a young player to begin throwing breaking pitches. One of the most influential elements is the often the misguided belief that throwing these types of pitches will accelerate a young athlete’s rise to stardom and bolster their chances of landing a college scholarship. While anything is possible,the odds are against it. Only one percent of high school athletes earn college scholarships. The increased stress and demand on a young pitcher’s elbow and shoulder will only leave them susceptible to significant injury.

With participation in baseball and softball is soaring (up 3 million

Russell Camhi, DO, ATC participants between 2013 and 2018, according to Sports & Fitness Industry Association surveys), there’s increased emphasis to teach and develop younger players properly.

So what is the appropriate age?

In regard to curveballs and sliders, I recommend a player wait until he is 13 or 14 years old. It all depends on physical maturation and muscular development. You want to avoid overloading the shoulder and elbow.

One of the first outward signs of pubertal development is facial hair and young boys starting to shave. You can also be evaluated by a sports physical

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therapist or certified athletic trainer who can help you make the decision.

The key is the longer you wait, and the more development a player endures, the more prepared he will be.

In the meantime, young players can focus on throwing fastballs and change-ups while improving mechanics and pitch control. By delaying breaking pitches, you strengthen these foundational skills while minimizing risk of overuse and injury.

The two most common injuries for pitchers are little league shoulder and little league elbow—inflammation or irritation of the growth plate. But there has also been a spike in ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) tears among younger players.

UCL tears require Tommy John surgery, a significant procedure with at least nine months of recovery, where surgeons attach a new tendon by drilling holes into the humerus (top bone) and ulna (lower arm),threading the graft through and securing it via sutures,buttons or screws.

Tommy John used to be limited to

professional and collegiate athletes, but is now being performed on pediatric pitchers because of the year-round specialization in one sport and/or prematurely trying to develop a curveball and slider.

In 2018,research from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) showed that more than half (54.7percent)of parents encouraged their child to specialize in a single sport. This is not a good trend. Youth sports specialization, which is defined as playing a single sport more than eight months out of the year, can open children up to overuse and injury.

Ideally,young athletes would get three consecutive months of rest and play on only one team at a time.

In the days of travel ball, some players/parents choose to play on multiple teams throughout the spring and summer seasons, which heightens an individual’s risk. It’s fine to switch it up and play basketball or participate in track and field. This will keep the athlete healthy while changing the demands on the body and preserving the arm for the baseball season.

A note on pitch counts and proper rest: some youth leagues impose mandated pitch counts for various age groups. For example, little league baseball only allows 7 and 8 year olds to pitch 50 pitches each day; 9 and 10 year olds 75 pitches; 11 and 12 year olds 85 pitches and 13 to 16 year olds 95 pitches.

These are intended to keep a young player from overusing their arms.

Parents should be empowered with this knowledge and monitor their child’s pitch count. Make sure the coach stays within the pitch count.

Russell Camhi is a primary care and sports medicine physician with the Northwell Health Orthopedic Institute.

For more health and wellness insights, visit www.northwell.edu/SportsInsights.

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THE CAMP & SCHOOL ZONE • FEBRUARY 26 - MARCH 3, 2020 25A

COLUMN approval, they may end up believing they need to change their appearance in order to gain approval. Focus on behaviors and talents over physical size and appearance. When discussing television, movies or books, discuss what the characters do and not what they look like. Talk positively about your own body and that of your child. Focus on health instead of weight and size.

Talk about what you can do with your strong arms and what her body feels like when she runs and plays sports.

PARENTING MATTERS Graziella Simonetti

POSITIVITY from page 23A types. Female characters in family-friendly movies and shows are twice as likely to have unusually small waists as compared to the male characters.

To combat the negative messages children may be receiving by watching certain programs, acknowledge these stereotypes and encourage conversations about them. Talk to them about how advertising photos and videos are changed to make people look taller, thinner or to have smoother skin.

Highlight athletes and stars whose bodies are used to achieve something versus being used for attention or to achieve a particular look.

WATCH YOUR WORDS: Speaking disparangingly about your body and appearance in front of your children can have negative consequences on how they view their own bodies.

Parents play an important role in impacting how children feel about their bodies.

-Grazilla Simonetti

Children who grow up listening to their mothers speak negatively about their bodies typically end up not liking their own. Females whose fathers are critical of their daughters’ weight typically have negative views of their weight. Children may assume a poor self image if you speak poorly about your body, and they think they may be like you. They may see themselves as not being loveable. Since children are wired to seek a parents’ love and

EXERCISE: Discuss physical activity as a way to be healthy and help the body reach its potential versus being a means for weight loss. Exercise can help improve mood and can be a great social activity. Highlight how professional athletes come in all different shapes and sizes.

Graziella Simonetti is a parent educator for EAC Network’s Long Island Parenting Institute and works as an early childhood social worker for the New York City Department of Education. She holds an advanced certificate in parent education from Adelphi University and is a NYSPEP credentialed parenting educator. Simonetti is a parent coach, a former kindergarten teacher and the mother of a toddler.

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