Almost one-third of all injuries incurred in childhood are sports-related injuries. By far, the most common injuries are sprains and strains.

High-risk situations include faulty or ill-fitting safety gear and equipment, lack of adult supervision, and an unsafe playing environment.

Safety gear should be sport-specific and may include such items as goggles, mouthguards, shin-elbow-knee pads, and helmets. The safety gear worn by a child should fit properly.

A safe cheerleading program will include direct adult supervision, proper conditioning, skills training and warm-up exercises.

The ACL is most often stretched or torn (or both) by a sudden twisting motion -- when, for example, your feet are planted one way and your knees are turned another.

Children should avoid specializing in a sport until they reach adolescence, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends. Reason: for every prodigy who becomes a successful athlete, thousands of youths suffer physically or psychologically from being pushed to compete at a young age.

Most children depend on recreational and school sports for exercise and fun. But too many young athletes suffer needless injuries.

Pitchers ages 10 and under can throw no more than 75 pitches a game. After that, they can't pitch until they rest for four days.

Sports is the leading cause of school-age children's eye injuries, but most of those injuries are preventable.

Detailed information on the use of mouthguards for the prevention of mouth injury

Each year, about one in 10 children receives medical treatment for a sports injury. Here’s how to protect your young sports star from concussions, sprains, fractures, and more.

Picking the best sport for your child and providing the right level of encouragement can be a challenge, but with a little research, you will find the sports program that best fits your youngster and your family’s budget and schedule.

A pre-participation examination may be required for any child who wants to take part in a school athletic activity or in an organized sports activity outside of school.

Most people don’t think of heart problems as an issue among teenagers, and for most of them, it’s not. But in rare instances, a teen can have a heart abnormality that can lead to health problems and even death.

Special needs children are sometimes not encouraged to exercise, because their parents or guardians fear they'll be injured. But physical activity is as important for special needs children, as it is for any child.

It may not be always possible to avoid injury when playing sports, especially physical contact sports, but participants can help protect themselves by properly preparing before and after a game or practice session by warming up muscles and then stretching.

Although youngsters with sickle cell disease may participate in sports for fun, they are unlikely to play competitive sports like basketball or football because they need to avoid sports that involve overexertion, overheating, dehydration, or chilling.

MRSA most often causes minor skin infections in young athletes, but if untreated, the bacteria may invade the bloodstream and become a life-threatening infection.

Playing competitive sports can boost self-esteem and teach teamwork and leadership lessons. But sometimes being on a team that focuses too heavily on performance—or appearance—may trigger an eating disorder.

Kids are more susceptible to sports injuries than adults because they are still growing and developing. The risk for injury is even greater if the child plays a contact sport such as basketball, football, or soccer.