A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine 
National Institutes of Health
Sports Safety
Playing sports can be fun, but they can also be dangerous if you are not careful. You can help prevent injuries by
- Getting a physical to make sure you are healthy before you start playing your sport
- Wearing the right shoes, gear and equipment
- Drinking lots of water
- Warming up and stretching
If you have already hurt yourself playing a sport, make sure you recover completely before you start up again. If possible, protect the injured part of your body with padding, a brace or special equipment. When you do start playing again, start slowly.
The top row in the table of contents box contains the following groups:
Basics
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Learn More
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Multimedia & Cool Tools
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For group Basics
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For group Multimedia & Cool Tools
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The bottom row in the table of contents box contains the following groups:
Research
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Reference Shelf
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For You
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For group Research
For group Reference Shelf
For group For You
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Overviews
- Preventing Children's Sports Injuries(Nemours Foundation)
- Also available in Spanish
- Sports Injury Prevention for Baby Boomers(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
- Sports Injury Prevention Tip Sheet(American Academy of Pediatrics)
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Latest News
- Sports May Be OK with Defibrillator, Study Says(05/20/2013, HealthDay)
- Can Sleep at Altitude Prevent Sudden Hiker Deaths?(05/16/2013, Reuters Health)
- Consider Lighter Baseballs for Young Pitchers(05/02/2013, Reuters Health)
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Sporting News
(03/19/2013, HealthDay)
- More News on Sports Safety
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Specific Conditions
- Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Injury Prevention(American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine) - PDF
- Ballet and Dance(American Academy of Pediatrics)
- Bike Safety Tips(American Academy of Family Physicians)
- Also available in Spanish
- Concussion in Sports(American College of Sports Medicine) - PDF
- Football Injury Prevention(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
- Gymnastics Injury Prevention(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
- Hockey Injury Prevention(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
- Horseback Riding Injury Prevention(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
- Inline Skating Injury Prevention(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
- Off-Road Motorcycling and ATV Safety(American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine) - PDF
- Prevent Golf Injuries(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
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Ride Your Bike Safely
(Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion)
- Safety Tips: Baseball(Nemours Foundation)
- Safety Tips: Basketball(Nemours Foundation)
- Also available in Spanish
- Scooter-Related Injury Prevention(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
- Skateboarding Safety(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
- Soccer Injury Prevention(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
- Swimming Injury Prevention(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
- Tennis Court Safety(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
- Tips for a Safe Running Program(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
- Trampoline Safety in Childhood and Adolescence(American Academy of Pediatrics)
- Treating and Preventing Facial Injury(American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons)
- Volleyball Injury Prevention(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
- Yoga Injury Prevention(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
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Related Issues
- Helmet Safety(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
- Helmet Use in Snow Sports(American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine) - PDF
- How Do I Know When It Is Time to Replace My Athletic Shoes?(American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine)
- Movable Soccer Goals Can Fall Over on Children(Consumer Product Safety Commission) - PDF
- Recommended Sports Eye Protectors(Prevent Blindness America)
- Return to Play(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
- Tips for Buying Sports Eye Protectors(Prevent Blindness America)
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Clinical Trials
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Bicycling(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Bicycling
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Research
- 'Heading' a Soccer Ball Could Lead to Brain Injury(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America)
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Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
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Organizations
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Newsletters/Print Publications
- ACSM Fit Society Page(American College of Sports Medicine)
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Law and Policy
- Helmet Laws(Governors Highway Safety Association)
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Children
- Bike Safety(Nemours Foundation)
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Childhood Sports Injuries and Their Prevention: A Guide for Parents with Ideas for Kids(National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)
- Choosing the Right Size Bicycle(American Academy of Pediatrics)
- Five Ways to Avoid Sports Injuries(Nemours Foundation)
- Also available in Spanish
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For Parents, Teachers and Coaches: About Sports Eye Injury and Protective Eyewear(National Eye Institute)
- PDF
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Gear Up! There's More to Lose Than the Game. Use Protective Eyewear.(National Eye Institute)
- PDF
- Guide to Safety for Young Athletes(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
- Recreational Activities and Childhood Injuries(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
- Sports Injury Prevention(American Academy of Pediatrics)
- Sports Physicals(Nemours Foundation)
- Also available in Spanish
- Which Helmet for Which Activity?(Consumer Product Safety Commission) - PDF
- Winter Safety Tips(American Academy of Pediatrics)
- Also available in Spanish
- Winter Sports: Sledding, Skiing, Snowboarding, Skating(Nemours Foundation)
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Teenagers
- Bike Safety(Nemours Foundation)
- Keeping Your Cool in the Cold and Snow(Nemours Foundation)
- Safety Tips: Sledding(Nemours Foundation)
- Also available in Spanish
- Safety Tips: Cheerleading(Nemours Foundation)
- Safety Tips: Skiing(Nemours Foundation)
- Also available in Spanish
- Safety Tips: Snowboarding(Nemours Foundation)
- Sports and Exercise Safety(Nemours Foundation)
- Also available in Spanish
- Sports Physicals(Nemours Foundation)
- Also available in Spanish
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Women
- Female Athletes: Health Problems Caused by Extreme Exercise and Dieting(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
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Patient Handouts
- Back pain and sports
- Also available in Spanish
- Returning to sports after a back injury
- Also available in Spanish
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