Title: Surviving a Season
Author: Michael J. DeFranco, M.D.
Publisher: Bookstand Publishing
ISBN: 1589097378
Pages: 89, Paperback
Genre: Health/Medical
Reviewed by: Gary Sorkin, Pacific Book Review
Book Review
Everyone old enough to read this review has at least at one point in their life seen the inside of an emergency room due to an injury. The prevention of an injury is an intrinsic human instinct; however given the competitiveness of sports one may find they go against common sense in order to achieve grandeur in athletic recognition. Hence something breaks.Dr. Michael J. DeFranco, an orthopedic surgeon and sports team doctor has seen plenty of injuries and thus was motivated to bring to the coaches and parents attention some common sense principles for accident preservation. His book begins with a summary of terms and common problems by using many clearly drawn and labeled diagrams. Most of this we have learned over the years in various ways, but humbly it is good to receive a fresh “once over.” The problems with either an incident, called an “acute” injury, or overuse injuries, called “chronic” are explained and categorized in an easy to understand narrative along with numerous illustrations.
Interestingly Dr. Michael DeFranco writes, “Young athletes are not smaller versions of adult athletes and should not be trained in the same manner.” First he brings to attention the fact children have many differences including a head to body proportion that naturally creates imbalance. Also, due to their smaller size, the protective gear may not fit properly. Most importantly though, children have open growth plates in key spots within their skeleton, if damaged, may lead to the abnormal growth of bones and chronic conditions. Finally children are naturally lacking coordination during puberty and are more prone to accidents. Personally, I cringe when watching youngsters playing football, with equipment that is too large for their frames and having the coaching staff and parents holler from the sidelines to “hit harder.”
The book deals with good health, and in particular bone health. Dr. DeFranco uses an acronym CPR, in this case standing for “Consume calcium and vitamin D, Participate in physical activity, and Recognize risk factors for bone disease. Think CPR for strong bones.”
Dr. DeFranco further comments on the holistic issues of injury avoidance with facts about healthy lifestyles. He identifies the necessity to have a positive attitude and how to deal with an eventual injury if and when it occurs. These “words of wisdom” come from a man that knows what he’s talking about, as such his good advice should be well received. In fact I believe this book is an important document and should be given to each student athlete. It should be as common as a team uniform. Parents and coaches need to pay attention to the methods of avoiding accidents and injuries, because although perhaps not lethal, the ramification of any accident due to ignorance during a youth’s development is unconscionable. This is an easy-to-read, fun book that will appeal to people of all ages and all levels of physical activity.
