Volleyball safety is all about two very important concepts: how to keep you safe while playing, and things that you can do to prevent injury. You may think that volleyball injuries are uncommon, however, 187,000 volleyball injuries were treated in 2007 alone. Use these tips to keep you safe and enjoying yourself on the court.
Safety Tips For Volleyball
There are several things that you can do to keep you safe while you are playing volleyball. Here are some of our top volleyball safety ideas:
- Wear protective equipment – I usually recommend knee pads at the very minimum. It will keep your knees safe and prevent floor burns as well as bruises.
- The volleyball standards need to have padding on them to protect yourself. If wires are used to hold the poles in place, pads should be used on the wires as well.
- Communicate with your team – Many volleyball injuries are the result of colliding with a teammate. Call for the ball and listen to your team to avoid this kind of injury.
- Call balls that roll onto the court – When practicing or when there are multiple games going on in one location, balls can roll onto the court. Make sure that you call them out so that no one lands on the ball.
- Be aware at the net – Another common cause of injury happens with the volleyball net. When you are blocking or spiking, be aware of yourself and what is going on around you to prevent injury in the net.
- Check the ground – If you are playing outdoors, check the sand/grass for sharp objects or glass prior to playing.
- Wear proper footwear – Many injuries occur because of improper footwear that does not provide adequate support. You may also consider ankle braces to avoid injuries that occur from landing on someone’s foot (a common volleyball and basketball injury).
Volleyball Injury Prevention
There are also things that you can do to prepare yourself to play. This will help prevent injuries from happening. Here are those tips:
- Stay hydrated – Drink plenty of water or sports fluid.
- Stretch and warm up – Many muscle injuries occur because the muscles are cold and go from a resting state to a maximum exertion state immediately. Warming up and stretching will prevent injuries and muscle soreness after the game.
- Wear sunscreen when playing outside.
- First aid can help – It is always a good idea to be prepared for any kind of situation. A basic knowledge of what to do for cuts, bruises, and sprains would come in handy.
I hope that these tips on volleyball safety will have you playing safely. You know what the best part of being safe is? You get to keep playing and have fun!
