Half of all organized sports injuries among children can be prevented. Death among children during participation in sports activities is rare. 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 injuries to children are caused by bicycle , skating and skateboard incidents. Young children, especially ages 5 to 9, are more likely to sustain playground and bicycle injuries.
Older children are more likely to suffer from bicycle and sports injuries and overexertion.
However, injuries from recreational activities and individual sports tend to be more severe. Each year, more than 775,000 children ages 14 and under are treated in hospital emergency rooms for sports injuries. The majority of these are from falls, collisions, being struck by an object and overexertion, and occur during unorganized or informal sports activities. As many as 20 percent of children participating in sports activities are injured each year. About one in four of these injuries is considered serious.