Sports Medicine Resources for Families of Young Athletes

Behind every young athlete is a family getting them ready for early morning practice, making long drives to tournaments, supporting them through tough losses and celebrating hard-earned wins. Families help shape how athletes handle pressure and recover from setbacks — making it possible to navigate an injury, improve performance and maintain healthy routines.

At Children’s Hospital Colorado, we support the families who support athletes. Find resources, advice on injuries and more.

What parents can expect after a sports injury

An injury can change everything in an instant, both for your athlete and your family. Your child will go through physical recovery, emotional swings and a new routine that takes time to build. Whether it’s a minor sprain or a more serious injury like an ACL tear, healing takes patience.

After surgery or a significant injury, your athlete will likely move through three main phases:

• Rest and protection
• Rebuilding strength and mobility
• Return to sport

Along the way, it’s normal to see frustration, setbacks or moments of doubt. But staying consistent with care plans, physical therapy and follow-up visits is the key to a safe recovery.

As a parent, you know your athlete best. If you see red flags like excessive pain, you can alert your child’s care team. It’s important to support young athletes by being aware of the risk of re-injury and helping them communicate their needs. With the right support, most young athletes don’t just return to their sport, they come back more aware and better prepared for what’s ahead.

How can I support my child’s mental health after a sports injury?

When athletes are injured and can’t participate in their sport, they might go through the five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. It’s most important to look for signs of depression such as isolating from friends and family, changing their behavior and declining grades. During this time, parents should:

• Understand that sports can be closely tied to your child’s identity and make sure they know they are more than an athlete
• Encourage engagement in their team or sport by attending practices or games during recovery
• Check-in regularly not just about physical recovery, but about their mental health

Physical therapy and rehabilitation referrals

Post-injury, athletes often require physical therapy or rehabilitation to heal. At Children’s Colorado, we have sports physical therapists available to get your athlete back on track. Most commonly, your child’s care team will facilitate a referral to one of our specialists as insurance often requires it. That process may include:

• A text message to your phone with referral directions and the phone number to schedule the first appointment.
• On the first visit, our team may schedule multiple follow-up appointments to ensure availability.

Concussion and school support

A concussion doesn’t just affect how your athlete feels on the field. It can impact how they think, learn and participate in school. Some symptoms can make a typical school day feel overwhelming, including:

• Headaches
• Difficulty concentrating
• Fatigue
• Sensitivity to light or noise

How do I help my child return to school after a concussion?

As a part of concussion recovery, our Concussion Program will provide you with return-to-learn and return-to-play plans to help athletes heal and go back to sports and school safely.

Alongside your child’s care team, you can play an important role in communicating with teachers, school staff and coaches on your child’s behalf to ensure they get the support they need. While a comeback coordinator (someone at your child’s school who can partner with your child) may be involved in your athlete’s return, it’s important to look for symptoms that may require further evaluation or help with school and activities.

Paying for sports medicine care

Understanding billing and payments for care can be confusing. Depending on treatments, surgeries, physical therapy or other needs during recovery, your family may have questions or need assistance. Our Patient Financial Services experts help ensure your family isn’t alone when navigating your athlete’s care.

Supporting your athlete as a parent

Young athletes need more than just coaching — they need positive support at home, too. The way you show up at games and tough moments can shape how your athlete experiences their sport. Our experts in the Sports Medicine Center provide guidance on everything related to performance, nutrition and play so you and your athlete get the most out of sports.

Get tips on various topics from our sports medicine experts.

Sports medicine organizations and resources

• Project Play: Parent checklists by age, experience and play level to help parents navigate youth sports
• TrueSport: Articles by sports medicine experts on athlete safety, mental health, being a positive parent, nutrition and more