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Updated: May 6, 2026
A Multi-Modal Approach to Assessing Recovery in Youth Athletes Following Concussion
Published on: September 25, 2014
Rate of injury among youth lacrosse players
Andrew E Lincoln1, Meira Yeger-McKeever, William Romani
1*MedStar Sports Medicine Research Center, Baltimore, Maryland; and †Department of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, MedStar Union Memorial Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland.
Objective:
This study describes the rate of injury and the types and mechanisms of injuries incurred by girls and boys during youth recreational lacrosse.
Design:
Prospective cohort study.
Setting:
Games were played at a large turf community athletic complex.
Participants:
Participants included male and female lacrosse players aged 9-15 years. A total of 143 games were played, resulting in 4603 athlete-exposures (AEs).
Assessment Of Risk Factors:
Youth players were grouped based on sex and 3 age categories: under 11 (U11; 9-10 years), under 13 (U13; 11-12 years), and under 15 (U15; 13-14 years).
Main Outcome Measures:
Certified athletic trainers collected data on type of injury and injury mechanism.
Results:
There were 6.3 injuries per 1000 AEs for boys and girls combined. Girls had 7 injuries (3.4 per 1000 AEs) and boys had 22 injuries (8.7 per 1000 AEs). Contusions and lacerations were the most frequent injury (n = 13), and body-to-body contact (n = 10) was the most common injury mechanism. There were 4 concussions among boys (U13 and U15) and none among girls.
Conclusions:
Most injuries evaluated in youth lacrosse were contusions/lacerations; however, serious injuries were observed, including concussions in boys in the age group where body contact is allowed.
