Posted on 06-12-2026 in Female Athletes, Youth Injury Prevention, Youth Sports, Injury Prevention, Sports Injury & Injury Care by Dr. Christopher Bookout, Dr. Alex Coleman, Dr. Joshua Hackel, Dr. Steven Kronlage, Dr. Matthew Mai, Dr. Erik Nilssen, Dr. Chris O'Grady, Dr. Roger Ostrander, Dr. James Piorkowski, Dr. Ryan Riggs, Dr. Brett Smith
At North Florida Bone & Joint Specialists, we believe that when kids move safely, they grow confidently. Whether your child is an aspiring athlete, a weekend explorer, or enjoys the freedom of active play, preventing injury is key to protecting their developing bones and joints.
Our team of orthopaedic and sports medicine experts has curated a collection of blog posts specifically designed to help families, coaches, and young athletes understand how to avoid common injuries and what to do when one occurs. These timely resources cover a range of topics, from seasonal sports risks to the evolving needs of young female athletes.
Explore our Youth Injury Prevention Blog Series to find helpful information, including:
We invite you to browse the full Youth Injury Prevention Blog Series and share these resources with your community to help promote safer activity for children of all ages.
If your child is experiencing pain or limited mobility, we’re here to help. Request a visit using our online appointment form or call one of our offices directly. Need non-emergency orthopaedic support after hours, on weekends, or on holidays? Visit our Urgent Care page to learn more about our partnership with the Hurt app and desktop service that’s available whenever you need access to care for acute orthopaedic injuries.
Click the play button below to watch The Bone & Joint Brief video on this topic!
December is National Safe Toys & Gifts Month, and as we go about our holiday shopping, it's important to remember the impact those presents can have on the well-being of the children in our lives. A recently released report by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) indicated that nearly 210,000 children were treated in hospital emergency rooms for a toy-related injury in 2022. The annual CPSC report also provided the following illuminating statistics:
North Florida Bone & Joint Specialists is excited to announce the availability of the Hurt! smartphone app and the web-based version, accessible on a desktop device. This revolutionary new resource uses human-to-human interaction to connect patients with acute orthopaedic injuries to an expert Hurt! Care Navigator in real-time, 24/7, 365 days a year.
Footwear serves several useful functions, including protecting our feet, cushioning our body weight, providing comfort and, of course, adding a fashionable element to our wardrobe choices. However, selecting the proper footwear can also make a difference in your overall foot health. As you consider those fun new kicks, we encourage you to be mindful of how the right type of shoe can help you avoid injury or further exacerbate existing foot and ankle conditions. Specifically, ill-fitting shoes can be painful and cause issues such as bunions, hammertoes, plantar fasciitis, Lisfranc injuries and more.