As much as we love volleyball, it is a sport that sees many injuries. Because of its fast-paced nature, jumps, and fast transitions, it’s easy to get hurt even when playing just for fun or in training. From ankle injuries to accidents involving knees, volleyball injuries are no fun.
The good news is that there are ways to avoid injury while playing volleyball. I’ve been playing the sport competitively for almost 20 years and have tried and tested many ways to avoid injuries.
To help you get the most out of the game and have more fun and less accidents, the following tips will give you enough info to avoid the worst:
Wear protective gear. One of the first things that you should do when looking to protect yourself from volleyball injuries is to wear the proper protection. Volleyball knee protection pads and ankle braces can go far in saving you from the most common injuries related to playing volleyball.
Knee injuries can be extremely painful and a challenge to recover from, so make sure that you do your best to prevent them with the right knee pads and protection. If you don’t like wearing ankle braces, at least wear tennis shoes that provide plenty of ankle support.
Warm up before the game. Going into your game without warming up is a recipe for disaster. Your cold muscles and joints will be more apt to get injured so before playing your game, warm up by doing some stretches and light cardio.
Stretching is very important for helping to prepare your body for a high impact sport like volleyball and can go far in helping to keep you safe from torn ligaments and cartilage. There are several stretches that you can do specifically for keeping your sensitive areas safe, from ankle rolls to knee stretches.
Practice your jumping technique. Landing incorrectly is one of the most common reasons why you may injure yourself during volleyball. This is why it’s important that you make sure to practice the best way to jump and land when hitting and blocking the ball.
Most accidents will occur when a player jumps forward instead of straight up. It takes practice to learn how to jump carefully but once you do, you have it down for life. It can make a big difference in keeping you safe from injury.
Don’t forget that wearing the right shoes for volleyball is very important. The right kind of shoes can help to keep you from rolling your ankle when landing. Shoes with good ankle support are very helpful in helping you to avoid injury.
If you’ve had an ankle or knee injury before, make sure that you’re fully recovered before you start playing. One of the main reasons why people get seriously injured while playing volleyball is because they play on already injured ankles or knees.
If you’ve been hurt before, it’s important to let yourself recover before you get back out there. It can be frustrating to have to wait for as long as is needed to get better but it is important. Playing on a weakened ankle or knee can make you more susceptible to more serious injury.
Take breaks from playing. If you enjoy playing volleyball, you probably want to play every single day. Whether it’s beach volleyball or indoor volleyball, you may even be on various teams for both types of volleyball.
While you’re probably excelling at the game, your body may be taking a beating. Consider taking breaks off from the game every now and then. You don’t have to play every season if you feel that your body is starting to be affected. Overuse of muscles can lead to injury, so try to avoid overdoing it if at all possible.
- When you do get injured, see a medical professional. It can be easy to take an ankle sprain and treat it like it’s no big deal. You put on ice on it and just wait it out. While sometimes it may not be a big deal, at other times it may be more serious than you think and a doctor can help you to get treated right away. It’s always better to be safe than sorry. A slight fracture may feel like a sprain but if it’s not taken care of as a fracture should be, you could be making things worse for it.
When you do get injured, see a medical professional. It can be easy to take an ankle sprain and treat it like it’s no big deal. You put on ice on it and just wait it out. While sometimes it may not be a big deal, at other times it may be more serious than you think and a doctor can help you to get treated right away. It’s always better to be safe than sorry. A slight fracture may feel like a sprain but if it’s not taken care of as a fracture should be, you could be making things worse for it.Final Thoughts
If you’re an experienced volleyball player, you may recognize the best practices for avoiding injury. If you’re new to the game, it’s important to learn the proper techniques for jumping, blocking, and landing, so you can avoid getting hurt.
Things like wearing the proper knee pads and shoes and making sure that you practice and warmup are just some of the best ways for staying injury-free on the volleyball court. No one wants to sit out a season so make sure to do your best to stay accident-free.
