Hi Reddit! I’m Katie Rizzone and I’m a primary care sports medicine physician at the University of Rochester Medical Center. I specialize in musculoskeletal ailments including strains, sprains, tendonitis, fractures, sports concussions, and arthritis, as well as medical problems unique to the female athlete, and runners. As a lifelong athlete, with two young sons who are just getting into sports, I am very passionate about sports safety. One area I’m particularly concerned about is school-age athletes overtraining and specializing in one sport all year long, rather than resting in the off-season. My research looks at what this may be doing to their bodies not just during their competitive years, but in the long term. I’m also working to expand our understanding of who is most at risk from specialization and overtraining – Girls? Boys? Athletes in a particular sport? And I’m looking at the ages of athletes when these injuries start to occur. With that information, we can establish better sports safety guidelines for young athletes. The goal is to help young athletes continue to enjoy sports, and be able to maintain their physical health well into the future. Good morning! I’m here to answer your questions, ask me anything!**