The sports industry is about increasing the number of participants (AKA getting people “hooked”). But industries are slow to react to other matters, even when compelling data indicates that action is needed. It’s common knowledge that head injuries occur in football. But what about eye injuries in Pickleball?
Courtesy StopCTE.org
FOOTBALL: The most common injuries to football players, according to an internet search, are “concussions, and injuries to the lower extremities such as the knee, ankle, and foot. Other common injuries include upper body strains, sprains, bruises, and dislocations, particularly in the shoulder.” As anyone who follows the game knows, the most serious injuries are concussions, which, if repeated, can lead to a disease of the brain known as Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), which can lead to lifelong disabilities, sometimes resulting in death. The National Football League (NFL) has made changes to its playing rules and equipment to make the game safer, but only after years of denying a nexus between concussions and brain injuries. Still, every play that a quarterback calls is an injury waiting to happen.
Graphic courtesy AARP
BASEBALL: The most frequent injuries in Major League Baseball (MLB) include hamstring strains, muscle pulls, ligament sprains, and issues affecting the shoulder (rotator cuff tears), elbow, and knee. MLB has attempted to make the game safer for players, instituting the “Chase Utley Rule” to protect infielders from dangerous slides, teams limiting the number of innings for pitchers, and batter-friendly rules to reduce contact, which allow batters to use protective gear. These changes aim to protect players from on-field injuries while utilizing technology to enhance physical preparation and recovery. Nevertheless, every time a pitcher throws a ball, there is the possibility of a career-changing event happening, resulting in the pitcher needing Tommy John surgery, a procedure to repair a torn or damaged UCL and restore elbow stability. The condition requiring the surgery became common when “flame-throwing” pitchers became the norm. Limiting them to five innings or so hasn’t stopped the damage to pitchers’ arms. Nevertheless, scouts and teams look for “flame throwers” over pitchers who don’t throw as hard.
Of course, other major professional sports with a high injury rate include basketball, soccer, and ice hockey. However, I emphasized injuries in football and baseball because they are the most visible to viewers, occurring in the moment. Let’s consider what appears to be a benign sport, one that is popular with the over 55-set.
Courtesy Ryan Foell, Professional Pickleball Association
PICKLEBALL: JAMA Medical News, a publication of the American Medical Association, reported on October 17 that pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in the U.S. It’s more than that, actually. According to a 2025 report by the Sports and Fitness Industry Association (SFIA), it has been the fastest-growing sport for four consecutive years.
Is the game injury-free? JAMA Ophthalmology, an international, peer-reviewed ophthalmology and visual science journal that has been continuously published since 1869, reported an estimated 405% increase in pickleball-related ocular injuries from 2021 to 2024 and recommended establishing standardized guidelines for eye protection to reduce ocular injuries.
Eye protection is not currently mandated for casual or professional play. One reason is that the sport’s governing body is against it. An October 18 article in the New York Times reported that USA Pickleball, the sports governing body in the U.S., “last year opposed a rule change that would require players to wear eye protection in its tournaments, saying it would be difficult to enforce.” Meanwhile, the Unified World Pickleball Federation (UWPF) does not have a policy mandating protective eye equipment. Unlike sports like racquetball, there is no universal mandate for eye protection.
The JAMA study was not the first to report on the dangers associated with pickleball. A post by the International Sports Vision Association (ISVA) said that more than 90% of sports- and recreation-related eye injuries can be prevented by using appropriate eye and facial protection.
Courtesy Facebook
Professional racquetball mandates wearing protective eyewear for all sanctioned events, and failing to do so can result in technical fouls or even forfeiture of the match,” even if a player does not need corrective lenses, according to an internet search.
The U.S. has the largest number of pickleball players. Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating data shows that “Pickleball is growing in many countries, with the fastest growth currently in India, Thailand, and Venezuela. Other countries with significant and accelerating growth include Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, Malaysia, China, Vietnam, the Philippines, and several African nations like South Africa, Tanzania, and Rwanda.” In South America, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, and Peru also show significant gains in Pickleball popularity.
I deliberately waited for a month before submitting this essay to see if USA Pickleball would cite the AMA eye injury study. An internet search as of November 17 indicated that they hadn’t. In 2024, USA Pickleball rejected a proposal to mandate protective eyewear for players. Citing the difficulty of enforcement.
The headline of this essay is titled “It’s Not Only Athletes Who Are Subject to Injuries.” The “not only” refers to the millions of viewers who watch televised sports. The programs are filled with commercials about alcoholic beverages, which, according to medical studies for several years, can cause cancer. Also, the televised games are flooded with commercials enticing viewers to bet from their homes, despite studies showing the harm (including suicides) caused by wagering.
That’s why I believe that watching sports on television can be injurious to your health and wealth as well as to the athletes you’re watching.
CONCLUSION: The sports industry is quick to encourage you to play, but slow to protect you when you play. They take baby steps in that regard. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines baby steps as “a very small step or advance in progress.” The Cambridge dictionary defines them as “an act that makes a minimal amount of progress toward achieving something.”
To the moguls of the sports industry, “baby steps” has a different meaning: Delay, Deny, Make Excuses.
