Is that ache a niggle, or a warning?
Walk through five signs for your child and get a printable card: what each one means, and when it's time to see someone.
Most aches in a young athlete are the everyday signs of a growing, working body, not a breaking one. But a handful are different. These are the five I tell the parents I coach to act on, rather than wait out. Take them one at a time, for your child.
The five signs worth acting on
For each one, ask: have you noticed this in your child?
A limp that doesn't clear once they're warm
They're still favouring a leg after ten minutes of warm-up, or a limp appears partway through a session.
Stiffness that eases off is usually fine. A limp that stays, or shows up mid-session, isn't one to run through.