<p>I’ve always had the opinion that playing string instruments (or piano) does not mix well with playing contact sports. My concern is that finger dexterity, required to play the instruments at high level, would be in danger in a contact sport. Almost all the football players and wrestlers I know had either jammed, dislocated or broken their fingers while playing their sports, some repeatedly so. Even though I’m no musician, but I know these kind injuries can severely limit finger dexterity forever.</p>
<p>Are there any parents here who had to steer their little musicians away from contact sports for this reason? How about parents with kids who successfully managed to stay in both?</p>
<p>We had the exact same problem. Tried to get DD (6th grader), interested in any sport. She plays violin in advance orchestra at school. We’ve tried almost every sport with her to no avail. Not really interested in tennis, basketball, or soccer. Liked vollyball, but not a good sport because of a high risk of injury to fingers. </p>
<p>We wanted her to find some sport, not really for EC, but something she would like and keep with it for a while. Well, she finally found a sport she was really interested in…fencing. No worries of injury to fingers, plus finger dexterity and wrist strength in her bow hand helps in fencing.</p>
<p>I am a student, but I have played both piano and contact sports all my life. Although there are occasionally instances where contact sports will make practicing, competitions, or recitals more difficult (playing with jammed fingers is not particularly fun but definitely do-able) I see no reason why a young child should be forced to choose one or the other. Better to let them decide which they prefer, if they have to choose, or even better give them the opportunity to do both.</p>
<p>No way.
My DD played saxophone in a jazz band while playing competitive soccer. She LOVED both…and never had any intention of becoming a professional saxophone or soccer player.
We went with the “you are young, try as many things as possible” theory.
And yes, she did get a few twisted ankles, sore knees, cut lips etc from playing sports…but she would not have missed it for the world (still played IM sports regularly in college). And the saxophone is sitting in the closet at home…go figure.</p>
<p>S was a violinist and played soccer from age 6 through 9th grade. He did break his wrist in a soccer game, and was forced to sit out a youth symphony concert as a result. Eventually he switched to track and cross country, but not for fear of injury. I think it is important for kids to have physical activity in their lives, and in the school context–especially for intellectually-inclined boys, perhaps–feeling and being perceived as physically competent helps them socially.</p>
<p>Depending on how serious the kid is in musician. S plays piano for more than 10 year. In early years he also played soccer, volleyball, fencing. When he became serious in piano (like close to 30 hours practice a week, travel, perform & compete nationwide), contact sports became problem. Fingers are delicate, especially in piano, one needs that “touch” to have tone quality. His teacher, a conservatory professor, told us that S could swim, but not contact sports, especially the ones that involving using hand. </p>
<p>My point is if your child is really serious, be careful. Consult the music teacher</p>
<p>Hate to say it, but my fencer’s season (and, in all probability, career) was ended by a serious hand injury. If he had played a string instrument . . . he probably couldn’t have done that well for at least a month or so, and he might still be noticing deficits six months later.</p>
<p>Son, a string bass player has a 3rd degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and did break his hand twice. He did give up TKD last Spring when he decided to become serious about music as a career and couldn’t take the chance of breaking bricks and his hand anymore. But definitely let your child play now. Son loves all sports and enjoyed playing them. Your child will have time later to decide which is more important.</p>
<p>Nope, D1 played flute and piccolo while playing soccer all thru high school. She never had a hand/wrist injury. She did tear her knee ligaments/dislocate her knee and had to have reconstructive surgery at the beginning of her junior year in high school. Ended her soccer career. Ended marching band too, at the advice of her orthopedist, although she continued in concert band. She found other sports–most recently triathlons and competitive rock climbing.</p>
<p>D2 played jazz sax at all state level in high school. She also played volleyball and softball all thru high school. Never suffer a sport injury outside of few jammed fingers, strained muscles, bruises, etc. She played sax and IM volleyball during her first year in college. Not so much afterwards though.</p>
<p>Neither Ds private music teachers objected to their playing sports. Biggest gripes from both girls’ teachers was the kids missing lessons due to sport tournaments.</p>
<p>Never tried to steer them out of anything. D2 is a rising sophomore and plays jazz piano. Last night at softball, she was stepped on by the first baseman when she dove back to the base (there are cleat marks on her shoulder!). Easily could’ve been a hand. She was also knocked down and sat on by the catcher. Catcher got called for interference for being in the baseline without the ball, but she still made it a priority to take the kid out.</p>
<p>D2 is small, just under 5 foot and well under 100 pounds. Many softball players a bigger girls (more power behind the swing or the throw). Would I insist she stop due to the threat of injury? Not on your life. Kids need to explore. Kids need physical activity, and they should find that activity fun. Helps crate lifelong healthy habits.</p>
<p>And hand injuries? Well they happen, even without contact sports. D1 was just running. Tripped, fell, broke the 5th metacarpal. D2 got her fingers shut in a car door.</p>
<p>D played violin and piano. She was also a tennis player and a ballerina. She had some knee injuries from tennis and ballet, but neither interfered with her hands and her ability to play violin or piano. I don’t consider tennis a contact sport, though.</p>
<p>Besides the concerns with potential injuries, as they get older and get more serious about a discipline, it often comes down to conflicts in scheduling and time management. For a younger student I wouldn’t worry about it and allow them to explore various interests.</p>
<p>Injuries in fencing are relatively rare - I fenced from high school until my late 30s, and then went back for a bit after that, and never actually saw a hand injury. (Well…I once got stung by a bee on my off-hand while fencing, but that’s another story.)
I would let a young child try as many things as is reasonable and not worry about injury issues in terms of finger dexterity until a child was very serious.
That being said, we would have steered ours away from contact sports - the risk of head injuries is far too high. (But it was never an issue.)</p>
<p>I begged my kid to do some sports. Although he’s slender and fairly fit, he has a condition that causes his blood pressure to fall not rise when he stands, and the doctor told him that sports and training were one thing that would help.</p>
<p>He used his violin playing as an excuse to not engage in any sport. I maintained track would be fine, but he was adamant.</p>
<p>I think it was just an excuse.</p>
<p>I think his “I never met a sport I liked” was a social liability. He did consent to learn how to play tennis, but never volunteered to play. In the end he has taken up weight training.</p>
<p>He got through high school and college (graduating on Sunday) not playing any sport voluntarily except for the odd pick up game of broom ball (very make-shift hockey with brooms, not sticks, they play for fun at his school on occasion.)</p>
<p>He did play violin in the orchestra for all four years. He did make other like-minded friends.</p>
<p>My husband has the same policy, whereas my father and brother did do sports. I did too, except very severe asthma (which S does not have at all) benched me.</p>
<p>I have three boys so there is “no way” that I could have channeled the boys away from sports. And heavens knows I’ve been trying to steer them (or herd them) for decades. I did try to influence them into less non contact and one of them bent to my will but the second played rugby and the third is all about football, all about lacrosse, all about defense and will never be a concert pianist. I’ve decided it’s genetics and not upbringing. So good luck and more power to you if you can “steer” your kids.</p>
<p>Didn’t steer my kids; older chose horseback riding at the age of 4; younger chose gymnastics, which she combined with playing the saxophone. My younger daughter did not suffer any sports injuries (I held my breath at every gymnastics meet), but her saxophone and its case each sustained an injury at different times. My older daughter fell off a horse once and was bitten twice, I think.</p>
<p>For our kids we never steered them away from anything … they focussed their ECs way down before any situations came up that parents might have wanted to jump in and give advice.</p>