Though your kid may want to bend it like Beckham year-round, consider cutting back a bit. As many as 40 percent of ER visits in kids ages 5 to 14 are for sports-related injuries, according to a report presented at a meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. These injuries are occurring at a higher rate and at a younger age compared with previous years, possibly because sports are increasingly competitive earlier on and kids focus more on a single sport—putting them at risk for overuse injuries. “Children’s bodies are still developing and are vulnerable to injury,” says Joel Brenner, MD, director of sports medicine at the Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters in Norfolk, VA. Plus, kids often ignore discomfort and play through pain. If you have a young athlete in your home:

Look for early signs that your child might have an injury, such as limping or favoring an arm while active in a sport.

Encourage breaks from any sport—at least one or two days off each week from competitive playing and at least two to three months off a year from one particular sport.

Stick with one sport or team per season, and encourage unstructured activity during time off, like bike riding and hiking.