One story from this week’s newsletter, covering a recent study on youth baseball injuries, really drew my attention. According to the quoted study, as many as 20 to 40 percent of youth baseball athletes suffer from elbow injuries.
This story makes me think of my grandfather, who still suffers from the long-lasting effects of injuries he sustained as a high school athlete. I should mention he was a football player, rather than a baseball player. However, the connection was enough to spur my interest—just how likely are different youth sports to cause long-lasting injury?
The National Safety Council (NSC) compiles an annual list of the number of injuries per sport and fitness activity. The most recent update is from 2022.
Unsurprising, football tops the list as the most injury-ridden for youth athletes. Half of all football-related injuries occur in athletes ages five to 14. That age group also suffered 45 percent of soccer injuries, and 44 percent of baseball injuries.
However, a 2010 study from the British Journal of Sports Medicine found most youth injuries are not bad enough to force early retirement. It does pinpoint anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and meniscus injuries as the most likely to cause long-term consequences.
According to the study: “Follow-up studies of young athletes and adults indicate a high risk of osteoarthritis after meniscus or ACL injury.”
Based on my family’s anecdotal evidence, this trend appears to bear out.
However, despite this downside, youth sports provide a number of benefits to participants, as covered in a previous story. A balanced view should acknowledge the downsides and potential hazards…but still leave room for the good.
My grandfather may live with an aching body because of high school football, but he also cherishes the memories and experiences it gave him. I personally think these experiences more than make up for the risk.
