Coping with too many games

We asked Dr. Dev K. Mishra what coaches can do when their teams are faced with game overload. Dr. Mishra is an orthopedic surgeon who has served as team Doctor at the professional, national team, college, and high school level. Despite the fact that the U.S. Soccer Federation discourages youth teams from playing multiple games in a week-end, youth coaches continue to send their teams to tournaments that require three or four games in two days. So much is out of the coaches’ hands. There are certain tournaments that they feel obligated to participate in either to enhance the stature of their team or to expose their players to the best competition , and maybe to college coaches. They are doing what they feel is best for their players and are generally not in control of the tournament schedules. The multiple-game in a short period tournament format doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon.
Besides the fact that player-development experts say the practice-to-game ratio is out of whack in America. What do we know about the perils of squeezing in too many games? Essentially what was found with research was a six fold increase in injuries if the games were played less than four days apart.
So what can a youth coach do to help ensure the health of his/her players when faced with such a schedule? The coach will need to go into a tournament with the awareness that some players will need to be substituted frequently and get some rest. Hopefully, the coach will be able to take as large a roster as possible and be able to have a player rotation-either per game or within games and give certain players rest. The coach would need to take injury complaints seriously and have a really low index of suspicion when a young player says that they are hurt. Also, if a player can’t play at their maximum the chance of injury is greater and may need some rest.
How about pre and post game? Pre-match preparation may need to be shorter and not as intense. Pre-game nutrition and hydration is very important- more carbohydrates and less fat and plenty of water. Post-game research shows that the first twenty minutes are the best to re-hydrate and get some carbs and protein back into the body Icing down sore areas such as thigh, hamstrings, calf, knee, and ankles can help recovery.
How is a tournament bad when these kids can play pickup soccer for most of the day and it isn’t a problem? We see far fewer injuries with pickup soccer ,however, Dr. Mishra says that their isn’t scientific data to support that ides it’s based on personal experience. Organized play environment with uniforms and the game on the line with trophies presented, creates intensity much different than the atmosphere at pickup games and could contribute to increased athletic injuries. If you’re playing in a park and you don’t feel like playing, you go sit down and wait for the ice cream truck so there’s self regulation that takes place before an overuse injury happens.