Participation of children, especially girls, in organized and informal sports and recreational activities continues to grow. At present, more than 30 million kids participate in organized sports in the United States.

Sports participation is beneficial to children in many ways. It can improve physical fitness, coordination, self-discipline and teamwork, as well as promote a sense of personal satisfaction and accomplishment.

However, growth in sports participation has contributed to an increase in sports- and recreation-related injuries. The risk of physical injury is inherent in sports participation. Furthermore, children are more susceptible to these injuries because they are still growing and are in the process of gaining motor and cognitive skills. It is estimated that half of all organized sports-related injuries among children can be prevented. Protective equipment, safer playing environments and rules designed to prevent injury are successful in reducing the frequency and severity of sports- and recreation-related injuries among children.

DEATHS AND INJURIES

— Death among children during participation in sports activities is rare.

— An estimated 3.5 million children ages 14 and under suffer from sports- and recreation-related injuries each year.

— Brain injury is the leading cause of sports- and recreation-related death. Injuries associated with participation in sports and recreational activities account for 21 percent of all traumatic brain injuries among children in the United States.

— Nearly half of all sports- and recreation-related head injuries to children are caused by bicycle, skating and skateboard incidents.

WHEN AND WHERE SPORTS AND RECREATIONAL INJURIES OCCUR

— Young children, especially ages 5 to 9, are more likely to sustain playground- and bicycle-related injuries. Older children are more likely to suffer from bicycle- and sports-related injuries and overexertion.

— Collision/contact sports are associated with higher rates of injury. However, injuries from recreational activities and individual sports tend to be more severe.

Sports

— Each year, more than 775,000 children ages 14 and under are treated in hospital emergency rooms for sports-related injuries. The majority of these injuries are from falls, collisions, being struck by an object and overexertion and occur during unorganized or informal sports activities.

— It is estimated that half of all significant sports-related injuries are treated in sports medicine clinics instead of hospital emergency rooms.

— As manv as 20 percent of children participating in sports activities are injured each year. Approximately one in four of these injuries is considered serious,

— Most organized sports-related injuries (60 percent) occur during practice rather than during games.

— Basketball: In 1998, nearly 200,000 children ages 5 to 14 were treated in hospital emergency rooms for basketball-related injuries. Nearly 70 percent of these children were boys.

— Football: In 1998, more than 159,000 children ages 5 to 14 were treated in hospital emergency rooms for football-related injuries.

— Soccer is one of the country’s fastest growing youth sports. In 1998, more than 77,500 children ages 5 to 14 were treated in hospital emergency rooms for soccer-related injuries.

— Baseball and Softball: Baseball has the highest fatality rate among all sports for children ages 5 to 14. Each year, three to four children die from injuries sustained while playing baseball. In 1998, more than 91,000 children ages 5 to 14 were treated in hospital emergency rooms for baseball-related injuries and nearly 26,000 children ages 5 to 14 were treated for softball-related injuries.

— Gymnastics: Gymnastics has one of the highest injury rates among girls’s sports and the risk of injury increases with the level of competition. In 1998, nearly 25,500 children ages 5 to 14 were treated in hospital emergency rooms for gymnastics-related injuries.

Recreational Activities

— Bicycling: In 1997, 225 children ages 14 and under died in bicycle-related crashes; in 1998, more than 320,000 children ages 5 to 14 were treated in hospital emergency rooms for bicycle-related injuries.

— In-line Skating: Since 1992, at least 33 children ages 14 and under have died from in-line skating injuries. The majority of these deaths were from collisions with motor vehicles. In 1998 alone, nearly 67,700 children ages 5 to 14 were treated in hospital emergency rooms for in-line skating-related injuries,

— Roller Skating: In 1998, nearly 32,500 children ages 5 to 14 were treated in hospital emergency rooms for roller skating-related injuries, accounting for 60 percent of all such injuries.

— Skateboarding: In 1998, more than 27,500 children ages 5 to 14 were treated in hospital emergency rooms for skateboarding-related injuries, accounting for more than half of all such injuries.

— Playgrounds: Each year, nearly 20 children ages 14 and under die from playground equipment- related injuries. In 1998, more than 230,000 were treated in hospital emergency rooms for playground equipment-related injuries. Children ages 5 to 14 accounted for more than 70 percent of these injuries.

— Trampolines: In 1998, more than 75,000 children ages 14 and under were treated in hospital emergency rooms for trampoline-related injuries accounting for more than three quarters of all such injuries. More than 90 percent of trampoline-related injuries occur at home and the injuries predominantly involve the extremities.

Winter Sports

— Ice Skating: In 1998, more than 15,500 children ages 5 to 14 were treated in hospital emergency rooms for ice skating-related injuries, accounting for nearly half of all such injuries.

— Sledding: In 1998, nearly 8,500 children ages 5 to 14 were treated in hospital emergency rooms for sledding-related injuries, accounting for 59 percent of all such injuries.

— Snow Skiing and Snowboarding: In 1997, more than 13,500 children ages 5 to 14 were treated in hospital emergency rooms for snow skiing-related injuries and more than 9,000 children ages 5 to 14 were treated in hospital emergency rooms for snowboarding-related injuries.

WHO IS AT RISK

— Children are at greater risk than adults of sports and recreational injuries since they are unable to assess the risks involved and have less coordination, slower reaction times and less accuracy.

— Children develop at different rates, both physically and psychologically, A less developed child competing against a more mature child of the same age and weight is at a disadvantage and may be at greater risk for injury.

— Children ages 5 to 14 account for nearly 40 percent of sports-related injuries for all ages. The rate and severity of sports-related injury increases with a child’s age.

— Prior to the onset of puberty, the risk of sports-related injury between boys and girls is the same, as they are approximately the same size and weight. During puberty, boys are injured more frequently and severely than girls. Among children ages 5 to 14, boys account for nearly 75 percent of all sports-related injuries. In addition, boys are more likely than girls to suffer from multiple injuries.

— Unlike most sports- and recreation-related injuries among children, the majority of rollerskating- and gymnastics-related injuries are among girls and occur indoors.

— Children who are new to a sport or activity are at greater risk of a sports- or recreation-related injury.

— Children who do not wear or use protective equipment are at greater risk of sustaining sports-related injuries. Lack of awareness for potential injury, inappropriate or unavailable equipment, and lack of money to purchase equipment are some of the reasons children do not use protective gear.

— Protective equipment, safe play conditions (e.g., field surfacing, maintenance) and development and enforcement of safety rules help reduce the number and severity of sports and recreational injuries.