Breaking down most common sports injuries

With the new school year around the corner, many students are getting ready to participate in sports.

The hot weather is one concern; practicing in SW Florida, the heat is a real challenge. But it is not the sport that sends most kids to the hospital.

Football workouts are underway across our area, getting high school players ready for game time. The thrill of competition makes it exciting, but with it comes the risk of injury.

Football is responsible for over a quarter million ER visits as a high-contact sport, but it is not number one regarding injuries.

Basketball earns the top spot according to figures tracked by the National Safety Council as of 2022.

Basketball was responsible for just under 313,000 trips to the emergency room nationwide. The majority of people were between the ages of 15 and 24. Many of their injuries were knee and ankle-related, from jumping or twisting.

Football landed in the number two spot, with more than 265,000 ER visits. Only the 5—to 14-year-old age group nosed out the older age group, with 145,000 kids needing medical help. These included fractures, sprains, and concussions.

Swimming was another sore spot, with 187,000 reported emergency cases. Most of those seen were between the ages of 5 and 14, primarily due to ear or shoulder issues.

Soccer was the fourth-leading injury sport, with 179,000 ER trips. Baseball/softball rounded out the top five, with just shy of 137,000 ER visits.

The data doesn’t define whether the injured athlete is part of an organized team, but it does shed light on what activities might be injury-prone.

If you look at all forms of activity injuries, just those that are sport-related, more people end up in the emergency room after getting hurt while exercising or at the gym.