According to Stanford Children’s Health, nearly 110,000 children, ages 5 to 14, were treated in hospital emergency rooms for baseball-related injuries in 2009. In addition, baseball in that year also had the highest fatality rate among sports for children, ages 5 to 14, with three to four children dying from baseball injuries each year. By 2015, the number of injured players increased to 120,234. The key issue is how do we, as league officials, umpires, coaches, parents, and players, change this?
In Heads-Up: The 50 Most High-Risk Baseball Activities, With Safety Plans to Implement at Practice and Games, Darren Gurney discusses the top 50 most high-risk activities in baseball and how to mitigate the situations as much as possible. His insights are both practical and effective to lower the chances of injury during both baseball games and practices.
The acronym HEADS-UP should be implemented by coaches to tell players how to avoid a variety of safety hazards in baseball:
-Helmets on
-Eyes on the ball
-Anticipate overthrows
-Drag the bats
-Survey the field
-Use communication
-Proper equipment
Featuring a Baseball Safety Test with questions such as:
What are some strategies that can be implemented to reduce arm/throwing injuries?
What is something a coach can do to help prevent an injury during on-field batting practice?
What safe hitting activity can players perform to prepare for a game when there is limited time or no batting cage available at a field?
