Parents and young athletes often hear that there is a benefit to playing multiple sports. There are both physical and mental reasons why that is the case. Dr. Wiemi Douoguih, a former All-American attackman for Washington and Lee University who is now the medical director for sports medicine for the Washington D.C. region for MedStar, offers some insight into the reasons why.
Q: How often do you see patients that are dealing with injuries likely due to overuse?
A: Overuse injuries are among the more common injuries I see in the office. There has been a spike in these types of injuries during COVID, likely due to return to high level activity after extended time off from sport.
Q: What are some of the common overuse injuries you see for lacrosse players?
A: Lacrosse players often get lower back and leg stress fractures. Lower back injuries are likely due to repetitive microtrauma from shooting and leg injuries from running.
Q: Are there specific sports that compliment lacrosse well in terms of developing overall athletic development and fitness?
A: Involvement in other cutting-and-pivoting sports, such as soccer and basketball, can help lacrosse players develop footwork and work on hybrid skills that can cross over to the lacrosse field. Track and field can help build endurance and strength. In reality, participation in any other sport that combines eye-hand coordination, fitness and strength training should be of benefit to the developing lacrosse player.
Q: How important do you think it is for young athletes to play multiple sports?
A: I think it’s critical to allow young athletes to develop a broad variety of skills through playing multiple sports. It helps build confidence, allows the player to train complimentary muscles and build skills that will serve them in their other sports.
Q: Active rest is highlighted as a way to improve performance. What does that mean exactly and what are the benefits?
A: Active rest refers to involvement in lower load activities than one is accustomed to during a competitive season. Active rest is often preferable to no activity in that it allows tissues to recover while avoiding atrophy and de-conditioning.
Q: You practice what you preach in competing in judo during your lacrosse career. How and when did you get involved in judo?
A: I started judo when I was 9. Martial arts were super popular in the 70’s and 80’s and I caught the wave. I trained and competed until age 18, stopped in college while playing lacrosse but then resumed in residency and competed nationally and internationally until 2002. I continue to train and coach. My son was recently promoted to Black belt.
