Sports and Recreation Injury Prevention

British Columbians engage in a variety of sport, recreation and leisure activities throughout the year. These activities have many benefits on a person’s health and social well-being. At the same time, participation in sports and recreation often comes with some inherent risk of injury. The most common types of sports injuries in B.C. are related to cycling, skiing/snowboarding, all-terrain vehicle use, playground use, hockey and skateboarding. Children and youth aged 10 to 19 years old sustain the greatest number of sports injuries.

The risk of injury shouldn’t stop individuals from participating in physical activity, however. Becoming aware of the risks involved in an activity, learning to manage those risks, and making healthy choices are important steps to prevent dangerous risk-taking behaviours and injuries.

For more information, see:

• Sport and Recreation Quick Facts

Concussion Awareness

Sport-related concussions are widely acknowledged as a significant health concern. If a concussion goes unnoticed and is not managed properly, it can lead to additional potentially more significant injuries. Professionals encourage all participants, parents, trainers and coaches to know how to recognize and manage a concussion if and when one happens.

To find out more about preventing, diagnosing and properly managing a concussion, see the Concussion Awareness Training Tool.

Learn More

To learn more about sport and recreation injury prevention, visit:

• BC Injury Research and Prevention Unit (BCIRPU): The unit seeks to reduce the societal and economic impact of injuries through research, surveillance, education, knowledge transfer, public information, and the support of evidence-based, effective prevention measures
• Healthy Schools BC Injury Prevention Guide (PDF, 862KB): This guide sets out actions that schools can take to promote safety.