Participating in any fast-paced, high contact sport can result in physical injury. So it’s no surprise really, that nearly two million basketball-related injuries occur each year. The most prevalent injuries include ankle sprains, facial cuts and bruises, stress fractures to the foot and lower leg, knee injuries and jammed fingers.

We want you to always enjoy your time under and around the hoop and all the times you dribble and dodge your way across the court and back. But at the same time, we are interested in Goalrilla Basketball Goal fans’ safety. So here are a few tips for how you can greatly reduce your risk for a basketball-related injury:

• Before stepping onto the court, make sure to schedule a pre-season exam with your physician. Be honest during your physical exam about any discomfort you might be experiencing with joint pain or joint swelling, muscle aches, etc. You might already have undetected injuries which can actually result in more serious injuries if left untreated.
• During all practices and games, make sure you are well hydrated. If you wait until you are thirsty before you take a moment to get a drink, that’s not a safe decision. Perspiration and dehydration can result in weakness and dizziness- a dangerous combination that can lead to injury.
• Make sure that you take conditioning sessions very seriously. You are not only building muscle, you are building strength, agility and endurance. If your body is well conditioned, you are less likely to suffer serious injury if you should take a hard fall on the court. Being well conditioned also helps you avoid getting too tired in the midst of the game and not “being on your best game.”
• Do not over train. Simply, this means to be willing to not only listen to your body, but to do what you need to do to keep your body safe. If your knee continues to ache, for example, don’t just stubbornly refuse to stop playing. While you limp across the court, you may only be doing more damage to an injury. And that poor decision can lead to surgery and to being out of the game for some or all of the season.

Besides teaching the basic skills and encouraging their children, parents have the responsibility to teach their children how to take care of their bodies so they are at their best. Here at the Basketball Goal Store, we hear how having a home basketball court has helped parents instill and, at times, enforce the care young bodies need. A Goalrilla Basketball Goal system installed in your backyard or next to the family driveway lets you monitor good healthy activities that will become lifelong habits.

-Pat of the Basketball Goal Store Blog Team