Developing Physically Active and Sporty Kids - Overuse Injuries and Burnout

Introduction A large number of children participate in organised sports every year. In the US, more than 46.5 million children play organised sports, and a study by Ahlquist and colleagues has found that more than 60 million US children aged between 6 and 18 participate in organised athletes.. (UPDATED FIGURE TO MATCH REF). SAFEKIDS and AHLQUIST.

While the benefits of physical activity are clear (LINKS to EARLIER PP PAGE - JANSEN #12), involvement in organised sport can also lead to injuries and burnout. There are, for instance, more than 2 million injuries recorded for high school athletes in the US each year, which results in 500000 doctor visits and 30000 hospitalisations CDC: From these figures, it is clear that sports injury risk must be considered in children and adolescents.

Each year, more than 10 percent of sporting children aged under 14 are treated for sports injuries in the US. Half of all sports injuries in children aged over 10 years are overuse injuries. WEB and HEALTHY CHILDREN

However, despite these high rates, 70 percent of children who participate in sports will actually drop out by the age of 13 GADIENT. The reasons for this are explored more here (LINK TO OTHER PAGE). SAFEKIDS - ALSO CHECK LINK