With the return to youth sports after weeks of pandemic-induced inactivity for many, soreness will undoubtedly occur.

While some kids may have worked out even harder than usual during this unprecedented downtime, the reality is that the majority most likely didn’t have the resources to train in a way that has them ready for whatever type of sports competition they’ll take part in as the country phases out of the pandemic.

The key for kids and parents is to correctly diagnose the difference between natural soreness from lack of use, and a real injury.

Kids have missed enough time already. They don’t want to have a minor injury become major due to a lack of proper care. In that same state of mind, they won’t want to miss practices or games because they are “nursing” which is really just soreness.

In most cases, the diagnosis has to come from a combination of what the child feels, the parents and coaches think, and sometimes, a medical professional confers.

The old adage “no pain, no gain,” is just that – old and outdated. It should never be used as a diagnosis, or an excuse, by anyone involved in the decision.

Depending on the age of your child, they might know exactly why something hurts and most importantly, be willing to tell their parents and coaches even if it means missing practices or games.

For parents, it’s important to establish that trust early on, and not just brush off a child’s complaint as “they just need to get in shape.”

While that very well might be the case, sending the message that you don’t believe your child when it comes to injuries might result in them not being honest about it down the road.

It also doesn’t mean that every time your child complains that something hurts, you have to immediately hold them out of practice and take them to the doctor. But like a lot of parent-child situations, talk it out.

Try to get a better understanding of what exactly hurts, how it feels and when it started. The onset of pain after a tackle is a lot different than muscle soreness after the first practice back from a long layoff.

As excited as we all will be to return to play no matter the sport or level of participation, parents have to remain responsible in how they react and handle the situation if their child complains they are hurt.

Doing this will not only, hopefully, prevent physical issues with their bodies, but also develop an everlasting trust between you and your child in how you handle similar situations in the future.

Stay safe and healthy.

Jon Buzby has been involved in and writing about youth sports for the past 30 years with perspectives as a parent, coach and board member. Jon is an award-winning writer and his latest book, “Coaching Kids Made Easier,” is available on Amazon. Send comments or future blog topics you'd like to see to JonBuzby@hotmail.com and follow him @YouthSportsBuzz on Twitter.