Report Reveals Alarming Number of Injuries In Youth Sports

Nearly 1.25 million youth athletes under the age of 18 are treated for sports-related injuries in hospital emergency rooms each year. According to a recent study conducted by the nonprofit organization Safe Kids Worldwide, nearly a third of those claim the injury was caused by a hard hit, foul, or dirty play.

Safe Kids Worldwide interviewed more than 1,000 coaches of youth sports and found that half of them were pressured by parents to put an injured child back into the game. In addition, 42% of youth athletes claimed to have hidden an injury from their coach and/or team so they could continue playing.

Some of the most common injuries reports by youth athletes includes torn ligaments, concussions (with headache and or dizziness), broken bones, and strained/pulled muscles.

Statistics such as this reveal the growing problem of injuries in youth sports. We've talked about this before on the SafetyCompany blog, but the problem isn't going away -- even in the midst of a recent White House summit focusing on head injuries in youth sports.

"We need to allow our coaches to be coaches, and we also need to make sure that our coaches have the training to know what to do to prevent an injury and what to do to take care of an injury," said Kate Carr, president and CEO of Safe Kids Worldwide. "Kids want to be out there and they want to play. Playing the game you love is very important, but playing when injured is not."

Safety Kids Worldwide offers the following tips for parents of youth athletes:

• Encourage your child to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water before, during, and after he or she plays.
• Communicate with your child's coach, expressing any questions or concerns you may have regarding your child's safety.
• Tell your child to speak up and let someone know when he or she is injured.
• Take a CPR class so you are better prepared in the event of cardiac arrest.
• Actively engage in your child's sports by attending his or her games or even volunteering to help on the team.
• Teach your child to watch for the signs of overuse injuries.
• Avoid pushing your child to his or her physical limits.

Protecting youth athletes from sports-related injuries is a responsibility that lies on both the parent and coach. By taking a proactive approach towards injuries rather than reactive, we can create a safe and enjoyable environment for our nation's young athletes.