All Articles by Lindsey Barton Straus, JD

According to a study reported in the February 2007 issue of the American Journal of Sports Medicine, youth soccer players (ages 2 to 18) suffer around 120,000 injuries each year sufficiently serious to require a trip to a hospital emergency room. The total number of soccer-related injuries, including those treated outside of a hospital ER, is estimated to be nearly 500,000 per year.

An emerging issue in the world of soccer is the use of padded headgear by players to prevent concussions. There have been a number of conflicting claims and reports about the medical benefits and risks of this headgear, and USSF has received a number of inquiries from its members about whether use of headgear is either appropriate or recommended.

Teenage soccer players who wear protective headgear suffer nearly half as many concussions as those who play without helmets, according to a new study conducted by researchers at Canada's McGill University.

Regardless of the age of your team, they will all play on a baseball diamond, which will be sized proportionally for the age of your team.

Shin guards are mandatory for children playing organized soccer and provide important protection against injury.

Basketball is a popular sport, especially among children and young adults. But the sport carries a risk for injury, whether played in an organized league or with friends on a local park court, More than 200,000 basketball-related injuries occur to young people under age 15 each year requiring treatment in hospital emergency departments, and basketball is the fourth leading cause of injury in both unorganized settings and organized community team sports.