LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) -  "Teenage athletes who play in multiple leagues and participate in sports year-round tend to overuse the same muscles and joints. The overuse could lead to serious injuries such as dislocated shoulders, torn anterior cruciate ligaments and ligaments usually seen more often in adults," Dr. Thomas DeBerardino, an associate professor of orthopedics at the University of Connecticut Health Center says.

The doctor, who calls these injuries "a silent epidemic," will be moderating a week-long conference about adolescent sports injuries in New Orleans.  DeBerardino warns strongly against teenagers playing in competitive sports, one right after the other, without a chance to let their bodies heal.

"If you´re on multiple teams, that is detrimental to the overall health of their kids´ shoulders and knees. It comes down to being over-scheduled. Along with being over-scheduled, they´re overexposed and potentially injured.

"This increases risk of overuse and the adult-type injuries like stress and ligament injuries,"he says.

DeBerardino says it's up to the teen and the parent to determine how much is enough. "Each parent and person responsible for the kid needs to pay attention.  You don´t have to examine the kid. Ask them if they feel overwhelmed, over-challenged.  When you need a break, you need a break."