NASHVILLE - As school gets under way in Tennessee, young athletes are gearing up for the upcoming fall sports season.

As children get older, their rate of sports-related injury increases. However, more than half the time those injuries are avoidable.

Dr. Alex Diamond, assistant professor of pediatrics at Vanderbilt Sports Medicine, says most injuries he sees early in the school year are related to heat or the lack of proper preparation.

"We really like our athletes to start slow with limited equipment and gear and slowly build up the amount of time that they spend exercising as well as the amount of equipment that they're using."

Diamond stresses the need for children to drink plenty of fluids before, during and after practices. Athletes can avoid injuries such as muscle tears or sprains, he says, by properly warming up and stretching. Most common causes of preventable injuries are related to not taking a proactive role when preparing to play sports.

About 3.5 million children receive medical treatment for sports-related injuries each year, and as many as half of those injuries are preventable. Diamond says proper equipment is another way to help protect your young athlete.

"No matter what sport you play, no matter what equipment you use, we always encourage to make sure that you're getting equipment that is properly fitted for that specific athlete and that they're meeting all the requirements of the sport that they're playing in."

One of the cheapest and easiest pieces of gear to use, he says, is a mouth guard, which cushions blows that can cause lost or broken teeth, concussions or jaw fractures.

Parents and coaches need to be aware that even light contact can result in a child sustaining a concussion, Diamond says.

"It doesn't necessarily take a big hit for a child to sustain a concussion. In the past, people used to think that losing consciousness is what defined a concussion. In fact, only about 10 percent of concussions are where someone loses consciousness."

If a child experiences any unusual symptoms - such as a headache, sensitivity to light, feeling pressure to their head, or if loud noises bother them - Diamond says they should sit out until they've been checked by a medical professional.