Sports Injury Statistics
How frequently do sports injuries occur?
In the United States, more than 30 million children and teens participate in some form of organized sports, and about 3.5 million injuries occur each year, which cause some loss of time and participation. Almost one-third of all injuries incurred in childhood are sports-related injuries. By far, the most common injuries are sprains and strains. Obviously, some sports are more dangerous than others. For example, contact sports such as football can be expected to result in a higher number of injuries than a non-contact sport such as swimming. However, all types of sports have a potential for injury, whether from the trauma of contact with other players or from overuse or misuse of a body part.
Injury statistics and incidence rates:
The following statistics are the latest available from the National SAFE KIDS Campaign and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP):
Injury rates:
- Approximately 3.5 million children and adolescents ages 14 and under get hurt annually playing sports or participating in recreational activities.
- Although death from a sports injury is rare, the leading cause of death from a sports-related injury is a brain injury.
- Sports and recreational activities contribute to approximately 21 percent of all traumatic brain injuries among American children and adolescents.
- The majority of head injuries sustained in sports or recreational activities occur during bicycling, skateboarding, or skating incidents.
- More than 775,000 children and adolescents ages 14 and under are treated in hospital emergency rooms for sports-related injuries each year. Most of the injuries occurred as a result of falls, being struck by an object, collisions, and overexertion during unorganized or informal sports activities.
Where and when:
- Playground- and bicycle-related injuries occur most often among young children, between the ages of 5 and 9 years old. Bicycle- and sports-related injuries also affect older children and adolescents, in addition to overexertion.
- The highest rates of injury occur in sports that involve contact and collisions.
- More severe injuries occur during individual sports and recreational activities.
- Most organized sports-related injuries (62 percent) occur during practice.
Types of sports and recreational activities:
Consider the following statistics:
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