In 2021, more than 3.2 million people were reported and treated from injuries that occurred during sports. While many common injuries that occur often during the participation in sports may not be initially serious, some may result in the loss of participation of an athlete because of the injuries severity.
To aid this issue, sports insurance may be an avid athlete’s best friend in regard to their safety and longevity within their sport, along with financial protection to avoid any repercussions that may come along with a sports related injury.
There are a multitude of different injuries that can occur when an athlete decides to embark in any kind of sport. To give a brief overview of things to keep in mind, we outlined the top five most common injuries amongst athletes.
Sprains and Strains
A sprain occurs when a ligament (the tissue that connects bones to joints) is torn or stretched. On the other hand, a strain occurs when a muscle or a tendon (the tissue that connects bone to muscle) is stretched or torn. Both of these can have symptoms like pain, bruising, swelling and the inability to move that body part. With these injuries, there is a potential need for physical therapy depending on its severity.
Fractures
A fracture is essentially a broken bone. This is another extremely common injury that occurs especially in contact sports. Symptoms of a fracture include intense pain, trouble moving the limb, swelling, bruising and deformity. This is an injury that always requires medical attention and assistance.
Dislocations
A dislocation is an injury that occurs when a bone is forced out of its normal position. These fall under the joint injury category and are considered an emergency situation when they occur. Many times, dislocation happens when an athlete falls or is struck in a contact sport.
Concussions
A concussion is an injury that occurs to the brain resulting from impact to the head. This injury can range from minor to extremely serious and can have lasting repercussions. Some symptoms of a concussion include mental confusion, dizziness, nausea, vomiting or loss of consciousness.
Overuse Injuries
Overuse injuries include many different specific injuries that are the result of overtraining, incorrect technique in training or unbalanced alignment between strength and flexibility. This could result in injuries like shin splints, ligament tears, or tendonitis.
The Impacts of Sports Related Injury
Physical Implications
Physical implications of sports related injury are the most common initial thought in an athletes mind. These could include many different aspects. Obviously, an injury will inevitably result in a decrease in performance for the time being while the injury is still present. This could also possibly cause athletic career-threatening consequences, as well.
Recovery is very important when an injury occurs, but this could also mean prolonged periods of time to rehabilitate the affected body part. Along with this, depending on the injury and its severity, it could result in chronic pain and long-term health complications.
Psychological Implications
Along with physical implications, many athletes overlook the psychological implications of injuries in sports. Emotional distress and mental health challenges can occur from physical pain and the change of lifestyle that an injury can cause in an athlete’s life.
After rehabilitation and recovery, there may be newfound anxiety of re-injury, as well, when re-entering back into the game. With this, it could also potentially cause a decrease in confidence and motivation, especially if treatment is limiting or time consuming.
Financial Implications
With any injury, recovery and treatment most likely comes at a financial cost. Depending on the severity and treatment required, there can be some serious financial requirements to get the help that is needed for speedy and full recovery.
Sports Insurance
So how can you, as an athlete, ease your mind regarding many of the implications of sports related injury? Sports insurance is the way to go.
What is Sports Insurance and how can it help?
What exactly is sports insurance? Sports insurance essentially gives the paying athlete protection from the financial repercussions that could occur from an injury during a game or sporting event of the like. When an unexpected injury occurs, having sports insurance in your back pocket may just save your bank account and your athletic career.
Along with an actual injury that comes with being an athlete, there are also liabilities and inherent risks that come with participation of sports organizations. Sports insurance will not only cover costs of accidents and health issues that occur during sporting events, but it will also cover general liability and excess liability as well.
Where can I find the right sports insurance for me?
If you are interested in investing in sports insurance for yourself or for your kids, you have come to the right place! Here at 02 Sports Insurance, we understand the drive that athletes have to succeed in their sport; but we also acknowledge the importance of prioritizing your well being along the way. That’s why we provide coverage for Baseball and Softball, Sports and Leisure, Lacrosse, Motorsports, Water-sports, and even more.
We are committed to providing our clients with the highest level of customized services. Our professional staff is composed of insurance experts, including those with legal and business backgrounds.With our ongoing collaboration with insurance companies, underwriters and other industry professionals, we bring the most effective risk management strategies to our clients with both national and international exposure.
Check out our programs to see which one fits your specific needs!