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.

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​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.