Sports Injury Prevention for Youth

These infographics highlight rates of youth participation in sport and provide statistics and tips related to injury prevention.

Key Takeaways:

59% of BC youth played sports in the past year, including 52% who played at least weekly.
Males and younger youth were the most likely to play sports, and to play regularly.

24% of youth who played sports experienced a concussion or other serious injury while playing or training in the past year. Older youth were more likely than younger youth to be injured. There were no gender differences.

40% of youth who experienced a concussion playing or training for sports in the past year did not receive medical help.

Youth were more likely to experience a sports-related injury if they had experienced:

• Victimization: such as bullying or discrimination (e.g., racism or homophobia)
• Mental health struggles: such as an Anxiety Disorder/panic attacks or suicide ideation

Youth were less likely to experience a sports-related injury if they:

• Slept at least eight hours and woke up feeling rested
• Felt they managed their stress well
• Always wore a helmet when doing activities with risk of a head injury
• Did not engage in bullying
• Did not play when already injured
• Preformed warm up and cool down exercises before and after playing
• Aware and informed about the rules of the game

How to Promote a Culture of Safety in Sport from activesafe.ca:

• Support youth to learn about injury risk, prevention, and recovery
• Create a safe environment for youth to report injuries
• Focus on safety rather than the outcome of the activity
• Encourage youth not to “play through pain”