A recent Saturday, I was in Hamilton County watching a youth basketball team, not unlike the ones I used to coach, literally sprint onto the court seconds after warmup time was cut short. As a former coach for my own kids, I’ve seen this scenario play out countless times across Indiana’s gymnasiums and fields. The kids had more energy discussing a TikTok dance than they did for our pre-game routine.
May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month and a good time to address the elephant in the room: The preparation gap in youth sports is putting our young athletes at risk. Indiana needs a systematic approach to making warmups “cool” and part of a larger movement, because let’s be honest, that’s the easiest path to get youth to take this topic seriously.
The warmup problem in youth sports
The numbers tell a story that every parent juggling travel tournament schedules knows too well. With more than 60% of Indiana youth participating in sports, our facilities are overbooked, and coaches (often volunteers) are stretched thin managing rosters, game strategies and parental expectations.
Today’s young athletes attend five to six practices weekly on top of homework. Most concerning are the rising injury rates among youth 12 to 18 years old, with many injuries directly attributable to warmups reduced to a perfunctory jog or haphazard stretches.
Why this is a serious risk for young athletes
Some studies suggest that less than two-thirds of youth sports teams dedicate structured time to dynamic warmups, despite evidence linking them to a 36% reduction in injuries. Our travel sports culture prioritizes game time over preparation, creating a dangerous environment where young bodies are pushed without proper readiness.
For kids, this sends a subtle message: Warming up isn’t serious.
The consequences ripple far beyond the field. Physically, these early sports injuries can lead to chronic conditions affecting quality of life well into adulthood. Psychologically, injuries can contribute to burnout, turning promising athletes away from physical activity altogether. The economic impact of health care costs, physical therapy and lost potential collegiate scholarship opportunities creates a significant financial burden on our communities.
The data behind warmups and injury prevention
But the solution doesn’t require expensive equipment or extensive time. It requires making warmups a cultural phenomenon that teens want to participate in. Evidence-based protocols can be implemented in just 10-15 minutes, but they need to feel like something teens want to do, rather than a chore.
Making warmups cool, not a chore
Adolescents are hyper-aware of trends and social currency. When schools create peer-led warmup routines with music and team-specific moves (think choreographed drills that look like music videos), participation increases significantly.
What if we stopped handing kids generic cotton tees and telling them to “run a lap” and instead started thinking about warmups as performance art that captures their imagination?
What Indiana can do next
To address rising injury rates among young athletes, change needs to start at the top. Indiana’s state educational and health departments should collaborate on youth sports safety standards. They should develop free, publicly available warmup education resources for coaches, parents and athletes.
Additionally, creating a youth sports safety council with medical professionals, coaches and athletes could help develop and oversee warmup guidelines for use in public schools and organized sports.
Building a culture of preparation
Indiana has always been a state that takes pride in sports excellence, from high school basketball to collegiate athletics. But true excellence begins with preparation that actually resonates with our kids. As parents, business leaders and community members, we must advocate for change.
By implementing systematic warmup education that speaks to what teens find aspirational and authentic, we’re not just preventing injuries. We’re creating a culture where preparation is as cool as performance. Let’s make Indiana a national leader in youth sports preparation, ensuring every young athlete has the foundation, and the vibe, they need to thrive both on and off the field.