When playing sports, our focus is on having fun and winning, not on getting injured. Yet, surprisingly, over 3 million athletes are injured each year. In the U.S., around 30 million children and teens participate in organized sports, and nearly one-third of all childhood injuries are sports-related. Undoubtedly, there are some sports that are clearly more dangerous than others. For instance, contact sports, such as football, can be expected to result in a higher number of injuries than a non-contact sport like swimming. 

Football

In football, research shows that knee injuries are the most common, especially those to the anterior or posterior cruciate ligament (ACL/PCL) and the menisci (cartilage of the knee). These injuries can significantly impact a player’s long-term participation in the sport. Additionally, players are at a high risk of concussions due to traumatic impacts. Other common injuries in football include shoulder dislocations, collarbone fractures, torn ACLs or menisci, and knee sprains.

Seasonal Sports

Common sports injuries can vary by the season. According to Ernat,“In the summer we expect mountain biking injuries to the shoulder with broken collar bones, torn rotator cuffs, and shoulder dislocations” Shoulder injuries are still common in the winter, but they are dwarfed by the number of knee injuries that can happen from skiing and snowboarding. In the past year alone, more than 25,000 children ages 5 to 14 were treated in hospital emergency rooms for snowboarding and  skiing-related injuries. The most common seasonal injuries are muscle and tendon strains, ligament sprains, bone fractures, tendinopathies, and concussions, often resulting from falls or collisions with trees. Wearing protective gear correctly can help prevent these injuries.

Soccer

Soccer is one of the most common sports that leads to ACL injuries. The ACL, or anterior cruciate ligament, can be injured when a player’s foot plants in one direction while their knee moves in the opposite direction. As Ernat notes, “Any sort of knee strain or sprain is going to be common in a soccer player. But especially in higher levels, I see things like concussions where players aren’t protected while they’re lobbing for a header or a ball and collide with other players.” The most common injuries among soccer players are ACL tears, which involves a sprain or tear of the anterior cruciate ligament in the knee that connects the thigh bone to the shinbone. Other common injuries in soccer are meniscus tears, knee sprains, and knee strains.

Baseball

In baseball, the most common injuries are to pitchers, particularly affecting the elbow and shoulder. As Ernat explains, “By high school or college, they’re throwing so much with one arm, their shoulders have different ranges of motion, which makes them susceptible to injury. Pitchers can also lose torque when the ligament inside of the elbow stretches out, which requires structured therapy or surgery to tighten.” In the past year, nearly 110,000 children ages 5 to 14 were treated in hospital emergency rooms for baseball related injuries. Baseball also has the highest fatality rate among sports for children ages 5 to 14, with three to four children dying from baseball injuries each year. 

Preventing Injuries 

Preventing common sports injuries is all about preparation and maintenance. As Ernat notes, “Part of that is adequate rest between games and practice, but most important is maintaining a healthy body with muscular strengthening and regular stretching while keeping up a good diet.”  

Works Cited:

• hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/sports-injuries/sports-injury-statistics. (n.d.). Sports Injury Statistics. Johns Hopkins Medicine. Retrieved September 16, 2024, from http://hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/sports-injuries/sports-injury-statistics 
• University of Utah. (2023, March 3). Top 5 Most Common Sport Injuries. University of Utah Health. Retrieved September 16, 2024, from http://healthcare.utah.edu/healthfeed/2021/11/top-5-most-common-sport-injuries
• http://orthop.washington.edu/patient-care/articles/sports/common-sports-injuries-and-sports-injury-prevention-tips.html
• stock.adobe.com/search?k=snowboarding. (n.d.). Snowboarding Images – Browse 339511 Stock Photos, Vectors, and Video. Adobe Stock. Retrieved September 17, 2024, from http://stock.adobe.com/search?k=snowboarding