Every day, millions of children and young adults participate in sports activities. They can range from track and field to football, swimming to soccer, and gymnastics to ice hockey. They can occur during organized competition or during unscheduled backyard play. Involvement in these athletic endeavors helps a child improve their physical fitness, their coordination, and it teaches them to learn about teamwork. However, with such vast numbers of involvement, parents and caregivers should recognize the potential injuries that their youth may incur due to participating.
According to the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System of the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, more than 3.5 million sports-related injuries, for children less than 15 years of age, are treated in hospitals and physician’s offices each year. This accounts for more than one-quarter of all emergency department injuries for children. As a result, sports injuries have been shown to cause an estimated health care cost (indirect and direct) of 1.3 billion dollars.
The following documents provide some important background information to help prevent sports injuries.
Parent's Safety Checklist
Safety Presentation
Brochures
Research Papers