Hamstring Injuries Across Youth Sports

Hamstring injuries are very common across many high-performance youth sports, especially those involving sprinting, jumping, cutting, or explosive lower-body movement. I was curious how hamstring injury rates compare with different sports, and between girls and boys. Interestingly, I found there is no statistically significant difference in hamstring injury rates between girls and boys in each sport. Below is a breakdown of hamstring injury rates by sport, along with some interesting notes:

Track & Field (Youth Sprinters, Hurdlers, Jumpers)

• Hamstring strains are the #1 injury in sprint and hurdle events, accounting for up to 30% of all injuries in these disciplines.

• Often occur during max velocity sprinting and typically involve the outer leg muscle - the long head of the Biceps Femoris.

• Recurrence rates are high—up to 25–30%—especially when the pelvis is tilted or rotated from high stride forces and repetitive training loads.

 Soccer

• Hamstring strains are among the top 3 injuries in elite-level youth soccer.

• Account for 12–16% of all injuries in academies and high-level clubs.

• Players recently experiencing a growth spurt are especially at risk.

• Re-injury is shockingly common—up to 30% within the same season.

 Football

• Hamstring injuries make up up to 15% of muscle injuries in high school and elite youth football.

• Positions that sprint and cut (running backs, receivers, DBs) are most affected.

• Often show up during preseason or early training when athletes aren't fully conditioned.

Lacrosse (Elite Youth & High School)

• Hamstring injuries account for 10–15% of all soft tissue injuries.

• Most common during sprinting, dodging, or sudden directional changes—especially in midfielders and attackers.

• Risk is heightened by poor preseason conditioning and muscle imbalances.

Rugby (Elite Youth & Academy Level)

• Hamstring injuries make up 10–14% of all injuries, particularly in backs who sprint frequently.

• Risk increases when players are fatigued or playing on consecutive days.

• Re-injury is common, especially if return-to-play is rushed without addressing mechanics or pelvic alignment.

Gymnastics (Elite Youth & Competitive Levels)

• Hamstring injuries make up approximately 8–15% of all muscle injuries in competitive youth gymnastics.

• Most often occur during split leaps, tumbling passes, or overstretching motions—particularly in floor and beam routines.

• Overuse and flexibility without enough eccentric strength or pelvic control are major contributing factors.

• Injuries commonly involve the top of the hamstring tendon near the sit bone, especially in hypermobile athletes.

Dance (Ballet & Competitive Studio)

• Dancers often suffer from hamstring overuse injuries, particularly where the muscle attaches at the sit bone.

• These account for roughly 12% of all injuries in youth dancers.

• High flexibility without enough strength or alignment control is a major cause.

Baseball (Elite Travel and High School Levels)

• Hamstring strains account for 8–12% of all muscle injuries in elite youth and high school baseball.

• Most common in outfielders and base runners, especially during sprinting or sudden stops.

• Injuries often occur during acceleration out of the batter’s box or aggressive base stealing.

• Pitchers can also experience hamstring issues related to lower-body mechanics, hip rotation, and push-off force imbalances.

Skiing (Alpine & Freestyle Youth Competitors)

• Hamstring injuries are less common than knee or ACL injuries, but still present in 8–12% of muscle strains, often due to:

  • Loading the hamstring while lengthening as the skier slows down

  • Hip and hamstring fatigue during long training sessions

  • Bent over posture and uneven loading on turns may contribute to pelvic asymmetry, especially in technical disciplines.

Basketball

• While ankle and knee injuries are more common, hamstring strains still affect 5–10% of elite youth basketball players.

• Sprinting, fast breaks, and cutting movements increase risk.

• Fatigue and imbalances between the quads and hamstrings contribute to vulnerability.

Hockey (Elite Youth & Junior Levels)

• Hamstring injuries are less common than groin, hip flexor, and adductor injuries in hockey but still account for about 5–10% of muscle strains.

• Most frequently occur during explosive skating, quick directional changes, or falls.

• Sprint-style acceleration from a dead stop (especially during breakaways or chasing a puck) puts sudden demand on the hamstrings.

Volleyball (Elite Club & High School)

• Hamstring injuries are less frequent than ankle, knee, and shoulder issues, but still comprise 5–8% of lower body injuries.

• Typically occur during explosive jumps, dives, or quick changes in direction, particularly in outside hitters and liberos.

• Often linked to quad dominance and lack of posterior chain engagement, which can be worsened by poor pelvic alignment.

Tennis (Elite Junior & Collegiate-Track Youth Players)

• Hamstring injuries in youth tennis account for 6–10% of soft tissue injuries, especially among high-performance juniors.

• Most commonly occur during:

  • Explosive first-step acceleration

  • Sudden lunges or slides on hard courts

  • Overhead serving motions with poor lower-body engagement

• Hamstrings are often overloaded during deceleration and directional recovery after wide shots.

• Pelvic rotation or asymmetry from repetitive one-sided movement (forehands, serves) can alter hip mechanics and increase hamstring strain risk.

Summary Across All Sports: Growth Spurts + Alignment = Risk

• Regardless of sport, hamstring injury rates spike during adolescent growth spurts.

• A common—but often unaddressed—factor is hip and sacroiliac joint misalignment, which can place abnormal strain on the hamstrings and surrounding muscles.

• Re-Injury Is Common

  • Up to 30% of youth players who experience a hamstring injury will reinjure the same area within a season

  • Re-injury risk is especially high if the underlying cause—such as poor hip/SI joint alignment—is not addressed.