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If the NFL has the worst percentage of sports injuries, what is number two?

Confessions of a Wannabe Cheerleader
Confessions of a Wannabe Cheerleader

We all know that NFL players are some of the most injured sports athletes around.

According to the National Center of Catastrohopic Injury Research, 97% of all catastrophic sports injuries happened to NFL players.

What’s a “catastrophic sports injury”?  Something that leads to paralysis or death.

So let’s take a look at what sport is number two on the Center’s list:

Cheerleading.

  • 2/3 of all catastrophic injuries to female athletes in high school and college occur to cheerleaders

How did other women’s sports fare?  Here’s a list of the sport and the number of catastrophic injuries that have occured from 1982 through 2010:

  • High School Sports
  • 78 – cheerleading  (there were also 9 deaths)
  • 9 – gymnastics
  • 5 – swimming
  • 4 – basketball
  • 9 – track
  • 5 – softball
  • 3 – field hockey
  • 2 – ice hockey
  • 2 – lacross
  • 3 – soccer
  • 1 – volleyball
  • College Sports
    • 35 – cheerleading
    • 2 – gymnastics
    • 3 – field hockey
    • 1 – soccer
    • 2 – skiing
    • 1 – ice hockey
    • 1 – track
    • 1 – equestrian
    • 1 – softball
    • 1 – lacrosse

    The most common types of cheerleading injuries are head injuries, facial injuries, and neck.  98% of cheerleading injuries are treated and released.

    You can read their full report here