When most of us are part of a sports team, we can’t wait to get out on the field for the big game. But the head team physician for the Kansas City Royals says it’s a mistake to overlook the most important part of the game day or practice routine: stretching.

            Dr. Vincent Key, who’s also an orthopedic surgeon for the Sports Medicine and Performance Center at The University of Kansas of Health System, is hard at work with the team at spring training, and he says it all begins with stretching. In the video, he explains why it’s so important, especially for kids, and how long a good stretching should be. He says it’s especially important as we get older, and says pre-event stretching, whether golf, tennis or softball, should increase about five percent each year. And he says the one time nobody thinks about stretching is after the event, but he says that is vital to minimize your body’s soreness the day after the event.