Recreational sports of all types pose risks to children and adults alike who engage in them. Spine injuries comprise approximately 15% of all sports injuries.
Sports injuries aren’t always a result of contact sports. In 2022, the sports category that caused the most injuries was exercise equipment. Sports activities frequently associated with injuries are exercise, cycling and basketball and among kids, football, girl’s soccer and boy’s wrestling.
Winter sports like skiing and snowboarding accidents are known to cause injuries, typically SCI of the cervical region.
Who experiences sports injuries?
Individuals aged 15-24 report the most sports related injuries.
Significantly more males are affected by sports injuries.
Sports injuries are common at the high school, college and professional levels.
What kind of injuries are caused by sports?
Many injuries involve simple sprains and strains but others are much more serious.
Nearly a quarter of traumatic brain injuries experienced by children occur during participation in sports, especially bicycling and skating.
For catastrophic spinal injuries, it’s football, ice hockey, wrestling, diving, skiing, snowboarding and cheerleading that pose the greatest risk.
Which school sports are responsible for the most injuries?
In the U.S., about 30 million children and teens participate in some form of organized sports. In doing so, the risk they take is related to the rap sheet of the recreation.
- Football has the highest number of injuries occurring in high school and college sports, with high school athletes most affected.
- Girls’ soccer claims just above 5 injuries per 1,000 exposures every year.
- Boy’s wrestling boasts 6 injuries per 1,000 exposures.
- In high school, cheerleading was found responsible for 66% of all catastrophic injuries to female athletes over a 25-year period. More than 30,000 cheerleaders go to the hospital for cheerleading-related injuries every year.
Can you sue if you’re injured playing a sport in school?
Most courts shield athletic associations, coaches, and schools from liability for personal injury lawsuits, or sports injury lawsuits. However, when the injuries are caused by the negligence of the school or some other third party, the injured party may have the legal recourse of filing a personal injury lawsuit.
Every school sports team should have an experienced athletic trainer. Participants should pass physicals and practices should never go unsupervised. Protective gear should be worn if necessary.
Additionally, an emergency plan should always be in place, which includes contacting emergency services in case of catastrophic injuries, to ensure proper stabilization and transfer of an athlete who may have sustained a spine injury.
If these proper safety measures were not taken, a school district may be held accountable and required to award financial compensation.
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