High School Lacrosse Players at Risk for Concussions, Other Injuries

According to a new study recently published online by The American Journal of Sports Medicine, researchers found that high school players experienced 1,406 injuries over the 2008-2012 academic years, with an overall injury rate of 20 per 10,000 lacrosse competitions and practices. More than 22 percent of those injuries were concussions. The study is the first to use a large national sample of United States high schools to compare lacrosse injuries by type of athletic activity and gender. The researchers found that while the rules for girls’ lacrosse largely prohibit person-to-person contact, almost 25 percent of concussions in girls’ lacrosse were a result of that kind of contact. Another 63 percent of concussions resulted from being struck by lacrosse sticks or balls. Moreover, most high school girls’ lacrosse players are only required to use protective eyewear and mouth guards, not helmets boys are required to wear. Boys sustained 67 percent of the total injuries, and boys had a higher overall injury rate than girls; about 22 percent of boys’ injuries were concussions. Person-to-person contact, which is allowed in boys’ lacrosse, caused 74 percent of concussions and 41 percent of boys’ lacrosse injuries overall. To learn more about the study, click here.