Participation in individual and group sports is always encouraged for several reasons – exercise stimulates brain function, favours physical growth, healthy circulation and higher levels of skin elasticity and muscle tone. However, these benefits may carry certain physical risks that can be managed in any of the following ways:

• Invest in Transact and Elastoplast taping to help you strap major and tender joints and assist in protecting your kids, particularly in contact sports and muscle-straining exercises. Strap them up before game time and check on them during the half-time interval to make sure everything is still intact.

• Depending on the role played in a relevant sport, you might be able to succeed in having your child wear padding, head gear, gloves, protective glasses or goggles, caps and guards for added protection on the field. Remember each sport has a designated mandatory dress code, so some sports might not accommodate protective gear. To prevent or minimise head or brain injuries to sports people, such as rugby players, wrestlers, boxers, cricketers, football players, cyclists, skiers and motor sports participants, always prioritise head gear.

• Each family needs to keep a well-stocked First Aid Kit in their home, that can be taken with as a primary means of stabilisation while you’re waiting for assistance or transporting your kids to the nearest treating facility.

• It is always handy to have your family physiotherapist, biokineticist, GP, paediatrician or orthopaedic surgeon noted on your iER App for quick contact and response in the event of a sudden injury.

• Connect even further and start an iER cell or group for the sports teams and their emergency contacts or next-of-kin so you can readily send an alert when you need emergency assistance or keep in touch by sharing weather updates, game venues, transport or travel details, uniform orders, snack schedules, practice times and locations and any relevant reminders.

In the event of an injury, the iER app helps you get medical attention as quickly as possible.

To date, 14 333 lives have been saved, with the number of medical attention alerts reaching a total of 683 in January 2020.

It is important to make sure that your children stay safe while they have fun, and that they have the support they need at every game, race or sports meet. iER keeps teams, families and any other social network together in the most memorable of times. Let’s have a safe and fulfilling 2020.