INJURY STATISTICS
-
High school athletes account for 2 million injuries, 500,000 doctor visits and more than 30,000 hospitalizations each year.
-
More than 3.5 million kids per year under 14 receive medical treatment for sports injuries.
-
Children ages 5 to 14 account for nearly 40% of all sports-related injuries treated in hospitals.
-
20% of children ages 8 to 12 and 45% of those ages 13 to 14 will have arm pain during a single youth baseball season.
-
Injuries associated with participation in sports and recreational activities account for 21% of all traumatic brain injuries among children in the United States.
-
Since 2000 there has been a fivefold increase in the number of serious shoulder and elbow injuries among youth baseball and softball players.
-
Among athletes ages 5 to 14, 28% of football players, 25% of baseball players, 22% of soccer players, 15% of basketball players, and 12% of softball players were injured while playing their respective sports.
Sources: Safe Kids Worldwide and the American Academy of Pediatrics. JS Powell, KD Barber Foss, 1999. Injury patterns in selected high school sports: a review of the 1995-1997 seasons. J Athl Train. 34: 277-84. Safe Kids USA Campaign Web site. 2009. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. 2009. Preserving the Future of Sport: From Prevention to Treatment of Youth Overuse Sports Injuries. AOSSM 2009 Annual Meeting Pre-Conference Program. Keystone, Colorado.