Sport Safety

Facts About Kids and Sports Safety



•Injuries can happen at any age or skill level – More than half of the seven million sports- and recreation-related injuries that occur each year are sustained by youth between ages 5 and 24.*

•Collision and contact sports have higher injury rates. Baseball, soccer, basketball and football account for about 80 percent of all sports-related emergency room visits for children between 5 and 14 years of age.*

•Mouth guard use is very low – Seventy six percent of parents say the thing that concerns them most about their child participating in sports is that he⁄she will get hurt, yet only 33 percent reported that their children wear mouth guards during organized sports.**

•Most coaches and leagues are not advising the use of mouth guards – Of the parents whose children do not wear a mouth guard, 59 percent say it's because their child doesn�t need that level of protection. Forty percent say it�s because their child�s coach doesn�t require it.**

•Hard hits occur no matter what the sport – The average high school baseball pitcher can throw a fast ball between 75–85 miles per hour. This compares to being hit in the mouth by a speeding car.***

•Cheerleading is one of the most dangerous sports, accounting for 65% of all injuries in high school girls' athletics.****

•Some parents surprised that mouth guards protect more than just teeth – Ninety-five percent of parents surveyed reported that they believe a mouth guard could help prevent damage to teeth.**

•Thirty-four percent did not know that a mouth guard could help prevent against jaw injury.**

•Children with braces need to wear mouth guards – One out of every three (31%) parents say their child has orthodontic treatment or braces while playing an organized sport.*

•Lacerations can occur if an orthodontic patient´s mouth is not properly protected.

Visit http://www.braces.org/miahamm/index.html for more information.

* Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

** American Association of Orthodontists

*** eFastball.com

**** MSNBC.com