Injury Statistics: What Are the Riskiest High School Sports?

Hey everyone, I'm a junior trying to narrow down my extracurriculars for next year. I'm curious—does anybody know which sports typically result in the most injuries in high school?

While it would be best to choose a sport based on personal enjoyment and passion, it's quite understandable to consider your safety especially if you don't intend on playing sports professionally.

According to various injury reports and safety analyses, the high school sports with the highest rates of injury are typically American football, wrestling, and girls' soccer. American football often tops the list due to the contact nature of the sport, which can result in a high number of concussions, sprains, and other serious injuries. Wrestling is also notorious for slightly higher injury rates, mainly due to the intense physical contact and the significant strains on the body.

Similarly, girls soccer is known for frequent ACL and MCL sprains or tears, along with concussions, often resulting from the high-contact nature of the sport and frequent jumping and rapid direction change. Sports like basketball, softball, and baseball also have some risk but tend to have fewer serious injuries comparatively.

One caveat though is that injury rates can be highly variable and depend on various factors, such as the intensity level of play, the quality of coaching and training, and the use of appropriate protective equipment. Individual player techniques and strategies can also play a large role.

Remember, participation in sports does have several benefits such as nurturing teamwork, leadership, and developing a regular fitness habit. Most importantly, choose a sport that you genuinely enjoy and look forward to playing. Safety precautions can significantly reduce the risk of injuries, so make sure whatever sport you choose, you're playing safely and responsibly.