Is Your Child's Packed Sports Schedule Setting Them Up for Injury? – SiSU Training Academy
Resources · SiSU Training Academy
Is Your Child's Packed Sports Schedule Setting Them Up for Injury?
By Ben Plowman, Head Coach & Founder, SiSU Training Academy
Every week I speak with parents of 11–14 year olds who are doing 5, 6, sometimes 7 sport sessions a week. Basketball, netball, AFL, school teams, representative sides — the schedule is full. And almost without fail, they'll say the same thing:
"They love it. They're fine. They want to play with their friends."
And I believe them. These are parents who care deeply about their kids — they're showing up, driving across town, investing time and money because their child found something they love. That's a genuinely wonderful thing.
Then a few weeks later those same kids are sidelined because they can barely run — heel pain, knee pain, constant tightness that won't go away.
I'm not here to tell you to pull your child out of the sport they love. But I do want to have an honest conversation about what's actually helping them play that sport long-term — and what's quietly working against them.
The Shift That Happened
When I was growing up in the 90s, kids played one main sport per season and spent the rest of their time just… playing. Backyard footy, street basketball, riding bikes, making up games. That unstructured time built resilience, coordination, and a love of movement without anyone writing it on a calendar.
Today the opposite is true. Organised sport has become year-round. More games, more training, more pressure to "not fall behind." The result? We're seeing far more growth-related injuries in 11–12 year olds than we did a generation ago.
Sever's disease (a painful growth plate condition in the heel) is the perfect example. Four out of ten players in one of my recent groups had it. When I asked my own mum if she'd heard of it when I was that age, her response was: "What's that?" Exactly.
The Hard Truth Parents Need to Hear
Your child saying "But I'm fine!" doesn't mean their body is fine.
During growth spurts — very common between 11–14 — bones grow faster than muscles and tendons. This creates tightness and extra stress on growth plates, especially in high-impact sports like basketball (jumping and landing), netball (explosive changes of direction), and AFL (running in boots on hard grounds).
The more organised high-impact sessions they do during this window, the higher the risk of overuse injury. It's not bad luck. It's load meeting biology.
But here's where it gets tricky: telling a kid "You need to do less sport" usually goes down like a lead balloon. They hear it as "I can't play with my friends anymore."
So we need a better message.
The Smarter Approach: Protect the Sport They Love
At SiSU, we don't tell kids to quit their sport. We help them build a body that can handle their sport.
The goal isn't fewer games overall — it's more consistent games without missing 6–10 weeks because of injury. That's what smart Strength & Conditioning actually delivers.
Here's what it looked like for one of our recent groups. A 13-year-old playing rep basketball and school AFL, six sessions a week — constantly dealing with heel pain. We shifted to:
- 3–4 quality sport sessions per week instead of 5–6
- 1–2 focused S&C sessions targeting calves, ankles, knees, hips and core
- Specific loading to help the body absorb force when landing and changing direction
- Better recovery built into the schedule — not as an afterthought
Within six weeks, the heel pain was gone. More importantly, he stayed on the court for the rest of the season.
Less total volume. Much higher quality. And far less time spent on the sidelines.
What the Research and Experience Shows
Sports Medicine Australia is clear on this: early specialisation and very high organised sport loads before 14–15 increase injury risk and can shorten a young athlete's sporting life. Kids who play multiple sports and have some unstructured time tend to stay healthier, develop better all-round athleticism, and often perform better when they do specialise later.
At SiSU we see it every term. The kids who combine smart S&C with a more balanced schedule are the ones who keep improving right through their junior years — instead of constantly battling the same niggles, season after season.
Final Thought
If your child is constantly sore, tired, or dealing with the same recurring issues, it's not a sign they need more training. It's usually a sign their body needs better training and smarter scheduling.
You're not doing anything wrong by supporting a sport your child loves. We just want to make sure that love lasts — for years to come, not just this season.
Free Resource
The Sever's Guide for Young Athletes
A complete rehab protocol covering taping, isometric loading, eccentric strengthening, stretching and a structured return-to-sport plan — written specifically for basketball, netball, AFL and other field sports. Ages 8–14.
Ages 8–14
Basketball
AFL
Running
Field Sports
Download the Free Guide →
Ready to make their training more sustainable?
Book a complimentary assessment and we'll build a plan that supports their sport instead of fighting against their body.
Book a Free Assessment
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<p>Every week I speak with parents of 11–14 year olds who are doing 5, 6, sometimes 7 sport sessions a week. Basketball, netball, AFL, school teams, representative sides — the schedule is full. And almost without fail, they'll say the same thing:</p>
<p><em>"They love it. They're fine. They want to play with their friends."</em></p>
<p>And I believe them. These are parents who care deeply about their kids — they're showing up, driving across town, investing time and money because their child found something they love. That's a genuinely wonderful thing.</p>
<p>Then a few weeks later those same kids are sidelined because they can barely run — heel pain, knee pain, constant tightness that won't go away.</p>
<p>I'm not here to tell you to pull your child out of the sport they love. But I do want to have an honest conversation about what's actually helping them play that sport long-term — and what's quietly working against them.</p>
<h2>The Shift That Happened</h2>
<p>When I was growing up in the 90s, kids played one main sport per season and spent the rest of their time just… playing. Backyard footy, street basketball, riding bikes, making up games. That unstructured time built resilience, coordination, and a love of movement without anyone writing it on a calendar.</p>
<p>Today the opposite is true. Organised sport has become year-round. More games, more training, more pressure to "not fall behind." The result? We're seeing far more growth-related injuries in 11–12 year olds than we did a generation ago.</p>
<p>Sever's disease (a painful growth plate condition in the heel) is the perfect example. Four out of ten players in one of my recent groups had it. When I asked my own mum if she'd heard of it when I was that age, her response was: <em>"What's that?"</em> Exactly.</p>
<h2>The Hard Truth Parents Need to Hear</h2>
<blockquote>Your child saying "But I'm fine!" doesn't mean their body is fine.</blockquote>
<p>During growth spurts — very common between 11–14 — bones grow faster than muscles and tendons. This creates tightness and extra stress on growth plates, especially in high-impact sports like basketball (jumping and landing), netball (explosive changes of direction), and AFL (running in boots on hard grounds).</p>
<p>The more organised high-impact sessions they do during this window, the higher the risk of overuse injury. It's not bad luck. It's load meeting biology.</p>
<p>But here's where it gets tricky: telling a kid "You need to do less sport" usually goes down like a lead balloon. They hear it as "I can't play with my friends anymore."</p>
<p>So we need a better message.</p>
<h2>The Smarter Approach: Protect the Sport They Love</h2>
<p>At SiSU, we don't tell kids to quit their sport. We help them build a body that can handle their sport.</p>
<p>The goal isn't fewer games overall — it's more consistent games without missing 6–10 weeks because of injury. That's what smart Strength & Conditioning actually delivers.</p>
<p>Here's what it looked like for one of our recent groups. A 13-year-old playing rep basketball and school AFL, six sessions a week — constantly dealing with heel pain. We shifted to:</p>
<ul>
<li>3–4 quality sport sessions per week instead of 5–6</li>
<li>1–2 focused S&C sessions targeting calves, ankles, knees, hips and core</li>
<li>Specific loading to help the body absorb force when landing and changing direction</li>
<li>Better recovery built into the schedule — not as an afterthought</li>
</ul>
<p>Within six weeks, the heel pain was gone. More importantly, he stayed on the court for the rest of the season.</p>
<p>Less total volume. Much higher quality. And far less time spent on the sidelines.</p>
<h2>What the Research and Experience Shows</h2>
<p>Sports Medicine Australia is clear on this: early specialisation and very high organised sport loads before 14–15 increase injury risk and can shorten a young athlete's sporting life. Kids who play multiple sports and have some unstructured time tend to stay healthier, develop better all-round athleticism, and often perform better when they do specialise later.</p>
<p>At SiSU we see it every term. The kids who combine smart S&C with a more balanced schedule are the ones who keep improving right through their junior years — instead of constantly battling the same niggles, season after season.</p>
<h2>Final Thought</h2>
<p>If your child is constantly sore, tired, or dealing with the same recurring issues, it's not a sign they need more training. It's usually a sign their body needs better training and smarter scheduling.</p>
<p>You're not doing anything wrong by supporting a sport your child loves. We just want to make sure that love lasts — for years to come, not just this season.</p>
<hr>
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<p style="margin:0 0 6px;font-size:10px;letter-spacing:0.18em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#c8a96e;">Free Resource</p>
<h3 style="margin:0 0 10px;font-size:18px;font-weight:700;color:#ffffff;font-family:Helvetica Neue,Arial,sans-serif;">The Sever's Guide for Young Athletes</h3>
<p style="margin:0 0 14px;font-size:14px;color:#aaaaaa;line-height:1.6;">A complete rehab protocol covering taping, isometric loading, eccentric strengthening, stretching and a structured return-to-sport plan — written for basketball, netball, AFL and other field sports. Ages 8–14.</p>
<p style="margin:0 0 18px;font-size:12px;color:#c8a96e;">Ages 8–14 · Basketball · AFL · Running · Field Sports</p>
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<p style="font-size:15px;color:#bbbbbb;margin:0 0 22px;">Book a complimentary assessment and we'll build a plan that supports their sport instead of fighting against their body.</p>
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