- Feb 3, 2015
IS YOUR CHILD SPECIALIZING?
Youth sports have changed dramatically over the years, with more athletes specializing in one sport from an early age. In a three-part series, The Chronicle explores the impact of specialization on youth sports. Read the entire package of stories at www.sfchronicle.com/sports.
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30 million: Children and adolescents who participate in youth sports in the United States
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3.5 million: Children under age 14 who receive medical treatment for sports injuries each year
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2 million: Injuries sustained annually by U.S. high school athletes -
500,000: Annual doctor visits by U.S. high school athletes
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30,000: U.S. high school athletes hospitalized each year
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50 Percent of all sports injuries to middle school and high school students attributed to overuse
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45 Percent of players ages 13 and 14 who will have arm pain during a single youth baseball season
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40 Percent of all sports-related injuries (treated in hospitals) sustained by children ages 5 to 14
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Since 2000, there has been a five-fold increase in the number of serious shoulder and elbow injuries among youth baseball and softball players.
Sources: www.stopsportsinjuries.org and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention