School Sports Day

Are you one of the one in three parents who worry about the risk of serious injury from school sports? New research from MetLife has found one third of parents with school age children are concerned about serious injuries from sport – and there are real reasons to be worried.

The research shows in the past five years:

• around 17% of parents have had to take a child to Accident & Emergency units because of injuries sustained whilst playing sport at school
• one in six have had to visit GPs for advice on sports injuries
• one third of parents have had to seek medical or dental treatment for children due to school sports injuries

Parents are also becoming increasingly keen to see action from schools and sports bodies to help reduce the risk of injury:

• one in five say they would be happy to back a ban on full contact rugby in schools
• over one third want better recording of injuries suffered as a result of school sports
• 40% want children to be able to opt out of rugby
• one third would support opt-outs for hockey and football

Should contact sports be banned?

The benefits to children of playing sport are huge. Aside from enjoyment, it improves physical fitness and health, and builds self confidence. However, it is clear that a substantial number of parents are worried about the risk of serious injury.

The Sport Collision Injury Collective, a group of doctors, academics, sports scholars and health professionals, have called for a ban on tackling in rugby. These calls may be controversial and many will argue that playing contact sports is a great way to develop team work and a broader set of skills.

School sports aren’t the only culprit either. MetLife reports over two-thirds of their claims relating to children on their accident and hospital cover policy are for broken bones. With the summer holidays around the corner, children are likely to be outside playing with friends and taking part in summer activities and sports clubs.

Although we can’t wrap our children in cotton wool, we can take preventative measures and give them the tools they need to avoid unnecessary risks, as well as putting protection in place in the event an accident does happen.

If you’d like information or advice about accident protection cover, please get in touch.