Injury Rates

It seems that every year there are a few parents concerned about their daughters playing fastpitch softball. The name of the sport seems to be the part that bothers them. They seem to believe slowpitch is okay, but fastpitch is dangerous. Meanwhile, the parents enroll their daughters in "safe sports" like basketball and gymnastics.

In 1995-1996 the NCAA ran a study of sports related injuries in college. While these same numbers may not hold consistant with youth sports, they might be used as a guide to show the relative safety of sports.

Injury Rates (Games and Practice)

Injury Rates Requiring Seven or more Days of Lost Time

Rates of Injuries requiring Surgery

The full article can be found on the NCAA Sports Sciences web site.