Specialized Sports Medicine Care for Growing Athletes
Shriners Children's Twin Cities Sports Medicine team includes Mairead Reynolds, LAT; Allyce Fisk, PA-C, MMS; Pamela Lang, M.D.; Becky Rouse, DPT
With more than 60 million children across the United States participating in athletics – and that number continuing to grow – so does the risk of injury.
Youth sports are more popular than ever. From year-round tournaments to early sport specialization, today’s young athletes face increasing physical demands.
To meet this vital need in the region, Shriners Children’s Twin Cities has launched a comprehensive sports medicine program designed specifically for children and adolescents. The program provides specialized, age-appropriate care for sports-related injuries – all in one place.
Specialized Care for Growing Athletes
The sports medicine program is led by Chief of Staff Pamela J. Lang, M.D., a highly specialized pediatric orthopedic surgeon. Dr. Lang is one of only four surgeons across 10 states in the Midwest with a primary focus on pediatric orthopedic sports medicine. She is also one of only two surgeons in the region with dual fellowships in sports medicine and pediatric orthopedics.
“There’s a big difference between treating an 8-year-old and an adult for the same injury,” Dr. Lang said. “The additional years of fellowship training in pediatric orthopedic surgery and sports medicine have given me an extra level of expertise in managing complex pediatric conditions. Our program is designed to meet the unique needs of young athletes with personalized, age-appropriate care.”
Children are not simply “small adults.” Their bones are still growing, their growth plates are vulnerable and their recovery needs – both physical and emotional – are different. Treatment plans must protect future growth while ensuring a safe return to play.
Addressing a Growing Need in the Midwest
In the Twin Cities metro area and surrounding states, youth sports are a major part of community life. Soccer, hockey, dance, gymnastics, lacrosse, baseball, softball, basketball and volleyball leagues operate year-round, often with intense tournament schedules.
While there are many sports medicine programs focused on adult athletes, far fewer specialize in pediatric care.
“There’s a huge void,” Dr. Lang said. “We’re laying the groundwork for outstanding care for youth sports injuries here at Shriners Children’s.”
The program addresses both acute (sudden or traumatic) injuries and overuse conditions, which are becoming increasingly common as children play on multiple teams and feel pressure to keep up with their peers.
Treating young athletes requires careful consideration: How do you repair an injury while protecting growth plates? How do you prevent reinjury? How do you ensure a child completes a challenging rehabilitation program and doesn’t return to the field too early? These are the unique challenges pediatric sports medicine addresses every day.
Sometimes kids bounce back quickly and seem fine, but the underlying injury is still there. They may get hurt again, and we realize it was more serious than initially thought. That’s where we come in – to diagnose accurately and treat properly the first time.
A Team Approach to Healing
A key part of the program’s success is its team-based approach.
Licensed Athletic Trainer (LAT) Mairead Reynolds brings nearly 15 years of experience to the sports medicine program. Having worked extensively in school settings with high school athletes, Reynolds understands the demands and pressures young athletes face.
“I really act as the connector of all parts in the sports medicine program,” Reynolds said. “I visit patients with Dr. Lang, assist in the operating room when needed, and work closely with patients in physical therapy and sports rehab clinics.”
Physical therapist Rebecca L. Rouse, DPT, works alongside Reynolds in the recovery journey of a young athlete. She uses rehabilitation to get athletes moving, trying to correct any movement dysfunction or muscle imbalances they might have to try to get them back to the activities they love.
"It's my job to encourage our patients and make sure we're choosing the appropriate exercises that keep them progressing through their rehab journey, while making the work fun," said Rouse. "As I get to know patients and understand what they enjoy, I try to tailor my activities to the sport that they are trying to get back to."
Keeping Kids in the Game – Safely
Youth sports build confidence, teamwork and lifelong healthy habits. When injuries happen, children deserve care designed specifically for their growing bodies and developing minds.
The sports medicine program at Shriners Children’s Twin Cities is committed to filling a critical gap in pediatric sports care across the Midwest, helping young athletes recover fully, return safely and continue doing what they love.
Conditions We Treat
The Shriners Children's Twin Cities sports medicine team treats a wide range of fractures, injuries and conditions in young athletes, including (but not limited to):
Knee Injuries:
- Ligament injuries including, ACL, PCL, PLC, LCL and MCL
- Meniscus tears
- Patellar instability and dislocations
- Cartilage defects
- Osgood Schlatter disease
- Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD)
- Mechanical malalignment
- Patellofemoral pain
- Patellar tendinosis
- Quadriceps and patellar tendon
Foot/Ankle Injuries:
- Ankle instability
- Ankle impingement
- Syndesmotic injury
- Talar OCD - osteochondritis dissecans
- Os trigonum
- Accessory navicular
- Peroneal tendonitis/tears
- Achilles tendonitis/tears
- Navicular stress fractures
- 5th metatarsal fractures
Shoulder:
- Thrower’s shoulder
- Shoulder dislocation
- Labral tears
- SLAP tears
- Bone loss of the glenoid or humerus
- Rotator cuff tears
- Acromioclavicular (AC) joint sprains and separations
- Cartilage defects of the shoulder
- Scapular winging
- Failed prior shoulder surgery
Elbow:
- Elbow UCL injuries
- Little league elbow
- UCL - ulnar collateral ligament injury
- Capitellar OCD - osteochondritis dissecans
- Olecranon apophysitis
- Stress fractures
As well as growth-related overuse injuries in many children.
In recent years, physicians have seen more serious injuries in younger children – even ACL tears in patients as young as 6 to 8 years old.
Helping Athletes Heal and Perform
Shriners Children's Twin Cities Sports Medicine Clinic includes care from Mairead Reynolds, LAT. As a licensed athletic trainer, Mairead plays a critical role in:
- Evaluating injuries
- Assisting with post-surgical care
- Supporting rehabilitation programs
- Educating patients and families
- Teaching safe use of crutches and braces
- Reinforcing activity restrictions and return-to-play guidelines
She also serves as a liaison between families, local coaches and school athletic trainers to ensure each child’s recovery plan is clearly communicated and followed.
Recovering from a sports injury can be especially challenging for young athletes – particularly when they feel isolated from teammates or worried about falling behind.
“Sometimes when a really young player, like an 11-year-old, gets an ACL tear, no one else their age has gone through that,” athletic trainer Mairead Reynolds said. “A seven-to-nine-month recovery program for a child is extremely tough. Part of my job is to make sure they don’t get too down on themselves and quit sports altogether.”
The team emphasizes that injuries are not the end of an athletic career. Advances in pediatric sports medicine mean that, with proper treatment and rehabilitation, most children can safely return to the activities they love.
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