The 9 Most Dangerous Kids’ Sports, Ranked

Getting involved in sports is among the most exciting activities for children. Sports are a great way for children of all ages to stay active, learn sportsmanship, and connect with other kids their age. Although sports might seem harmless when kids are playing tee ball, many of the most popular kids’ sports also come with many risks and can lead to serious injuries. One-third of all childhood injuries occur while playing a sport.

While every sport involves the risk of injury, some sports are far more dangerous than others. For sports like soccer and football, there’s more to consider than the risk of a sprained ankle or a few bruises. That’s why for parents it’s often a difficult decision what sports to let their children participate in. We’ve ranked the top 9 most dangerous kids' sports below based on the number and rate of injury.

While hockey is one of the most dangerous sports, it’s not as dangerous as sports like football. Some of the most common hockey-related injuries are sprains, fractures, concussions, and dislocated shoulders.

The rules of hockey can lead to some of these injuries since hockey is considered a collision sport. Body-checking is what causes a lot of injuries in hockey, which is why the American Academy of Pediatrics doesn’t recommend allowing body-checking for hockey teams with kids 15 or under. Using proper safety gear can help reduce the risk of injuries for young hockey players.

While lacrosse can be dangerous for both boys’ and girls’ teams, boys’ lacrosse is often more dangerous because of the rules. Boys' lacrosse is a contact sport while girls' lacrosse isn’t considered a contact sport. However, whether it’s a boys or girls team, there are still risks involved in playing lacrosse.

One of the ways kids can protect themselves while playing this sport is by wearing the proper helmet, eye protection, and pads. Hand, wrist, and arm fractures are common in boys’ lacrosse and ACL injuries are the most common leg injury for kids playing lacrosse.

Swimming is a great sport and activity for kids to participate in, no matter what their skill level is. While most children participating in this type of sport learn to be strong swimmers and swimming isn’t the most dangerous sport out there, there are still many risks for certain injuries.

When it comes to sports involving swimming, the most common injuries are swimmer's ear and swimmer's shoulder. There is also the possibility of knee, hip, or back pain if a child overexerts themselves.

Riding bikes is a great pastime for children, but some children take this a step further by cycling in competitions. This sport is an excellent way for kids to stay active, but like many other sports, it comes with its own set of risks.

According to Stanford Medicine, almost half of head injuries from sports involve skateboarding, skating, or cycling accidents. It’s common for children to injure themselves in cycling the same way they injure themselves in skateboarding: by falling off their bike or losing their balance. The best way to prevent head injuries is to ensure children are wearing proper helmets. 

From little league to the major leagues, baseball is one of America’s favorite sports. It’s also one of the most dangerous sports for kids. Each year, over 100,000 kids are treated for baseball-related injuries.

Some of the most common injuries from baseball include rotator cuff tears, strains, sprains, and fractures. A lot of the injuries that happen in baseball are caused by overuse when players pitch or throw the ball too many times. This is another reason why cross-training is encouraged for children playing sports to prevent injuries to certain muscles.

While in most kid's sports, injuries have decreased, skateboarding injuries have increased in recent years. Skateboarding has become a popular sport, especially after it was added to the Olympics in 2020. In 2021, there were more than 150,000 injuries for skateboarders from 5 to 24 years old.

It’s common for injuries in skateboarding to happen when children fall off their skateboard or lose their balance. Some of the most common skateboarding injuries include minor injuries such as bruises or scrapes as well as major injuries such as sprains and broken bones.

Even though basketball isn’t much of a contact sport compared to sports like football or soccer, it can still lead to a lot of injuries in children. This is mainly because basketball involves a lot of running and jumping, which makes it easy for players to get ankle and knee sprains.
Compared to other sports, basketball has a much lower concussion rate at only 3%. However, the number of other injuries is much higher. According to one survey, there were 206,426 basketball-related injuries in 5 to 24-year-olds in 2021.

Soccer is a fun and popular sport for children to play but it’s also one of the most dangerous sports for both kids and adults. Some of the most common injuries for children’s soccer include fractures, sprains, and dislocations. Concussions are also a concern since they can happen when players fall or collide with one another.

While soccer played by young children is often less aggressive than soccer played by older children and adults, it can still be dangerous because of the nature of the game. One of the suggestions for preventing injuries in sports like soccer is to encourage cross-training. Having children participate in a variety of sports instead of just one can prevent injuries.

Football is considered the most dangerous sport for kids by far because of the rate of injury. One survey showed that for every 100,000 players, 5,846 were injured in football. Research has also shown that players are three to four times more likely to be injured in football than in other sports. 

One thing parents have to consider when letting their child play football is also the long-term consequences of football injuries. There are rising concerns about neurological issues caused by years of playing this sport.