"I would love to try out for the Olympics. That'd be fun. It's a big event."
Volleyball is Gabby Alexander's passion.
In order to stay competitive, she plays almost year round and practices a lot. But knee pain started to creep up and so did a little shoulder pain.
This was new to her but not to doctors who are seeing more of these sports-related aches.
Dr. Penny Bowen with EVDI Medical Imaging says these ambitious young athletes are at greater risk for things like Little Leaguer’s Shoulder and Jumper's Knee because they are playing more than just seasonally.
Plus parts of their bodies are still growing that are used when playing.
Dr. Bowen says, "They can cause growth disturbances and what I mean by that-leg length discrepancies, arm length discrepancies. Actual deformities in the limbs."
Parents should look out for a couple of signs something is wrong. Listening to your child is key, have they been complaining about pain or maybe they don’t want to play the sport anymore at all.
"Or there'll be a difference in their technique. For example, their throwing technique as a pitcher may change because they're actually avoiding an uncomfortable position as they're throwing," Dr. Bowen adds.
