Rankings in orange circles compare this sport with nine other sports offered for this gender before customization – meaning each of the three health categories is given an equal one-third weighting. The ranking is comprised of data collected or developed from various sources (75% of score) and expert opinion (25% of score). The healthiest sports in each of the three categories – physical activity, safety and psychosocial benefits – and in each data measurement are ranked No. 1. Note: Some sports did not have significant differences between each other in the data. Learn more about our methodology.
7th
out of 10
Physical Activity
Expert Opinion Rank: 5th Out of 10
Key Characteristics: Basketball’s physical activity at practices is below average among the 10 boys sports studied by North Carolina State University. Basketball has 40.2 percent vigorous activity; the 10 boys sports average 48.5 percent. Forty-two percent of basketball practice time focuses on skills compared to 5 percent on fitness.
1 North Carolina State University research observing high school athletes in North Carolina, 2017-18.
6th
out of 10
Safety
15.5
Injury Rate2(6th out of 10)
10.6%
Injury Time/Loss3(6th out of 10)
0.03
Catastrophic Rate4(T-3rd out of 10)
6.8%
Injuries Requiring Surgery5(6th out of 10)
2.2
Concussion Rate6(6th out of 10)
Expert Opinion Rank: 6th Out of 10
Key Characteristics: Basketball has the sixth-lowest injury rate among boys sports, according to the National High School Sports-Related Injury Surveillance Study. More than one-third of all basketball injuries are to the ankle, more than any other body part. The concussion rate for boys basketball players is almost two times lower than that of girls.
2 Injury rate per 10,000 exposures, National High School Sports-Related Injury Surveillance Study, 2016-17.
3 Percentage of all injuries resulting in greater than three weeks of time loss from the sport, National High School Sports-Related Injury Surveillance Study, 2016-17.
4 Non-fatal catastrophic injury/illness rate per 100,000 exposures, National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research, 1982-2016.
5 Percentage of all injuries requiring surgery, National High School Sports-Related Injury Surveillance Study, 2016-17.
6 Concussion rate per 10,000 exposures, National High School Sports-Related Injury Surveillance Study, 2016-17.
3rd
out of 10
Psychosocial
Aspen Psychosocial Survey7
3.613
Personal Social Skills(3rd out of 10)
2.853
Cognitive Skills(2nd out of 10)
3.625
Goal-Setting(4th out of 10)
3.764
Initiative(6th out of 10)
3.707
Health(3rd out of 10)
1.646
Negative Experiences(10th out of 10)
Substance Abuse
Cigarette Use8
15.8%
(5th out of 10)
Binge Drinking9
28.1%
(5th out of 10)
Marijuana Use10
27.9%
(6th out of 10)
Academic Achievement
Cut Class11
29.4%
(7th out of 10)
A/A- Student12
33.6%
(7th out of 10)
Graduate From College13
56.6%
(8th out of 10)
Psychological health14
How We Define Our Metrics
4.28
Self-Esteem(T-2nd out of 10)
2.24
Fatalism(5th out of 10)
3.76
Self-Efficacy(6th out of 10)
2.44
Loneliness(4th out of 10)
1.92
Self-Derogation(T-2nd out of 10)
4.15
Social Support(6th out of 10)
Expert Opinion Rank: T-2nd Out of 10
Key Characteristics: Basketball rates fifth among the 10 boys sports in the Aspen Institute/University of Texas psychosocial survey, though the gap isn’t large compared to No. 1 football. Setting goals and developing personal, social and cognitive skills are strengths for basketball. The sport has the second-highest level of self-esteem, according to Women’s Sports Foundation data.
7 Aspen Institute/University of Texas psychosocial benefits survey of high school athletes nationally, 2018. Scoring ranges from 1-4, with 4 being the best except for the Negative Experiences category.
8 Percentage of high school seniors in the sport smoking cigarettes in the past 30 days. Data from Monitoring the Future Study (2010-15) and analyzed by Women’s Sports Foundation in Teen Sport in America: Why Participation Matters.
9 Percentage of high school seniors in the sport binge drinking alcohol in the past two weeks. Data from Monitoring the Future Study (2010-15) and analyzed by Women’s Sports Foundation in Teen Sport in America: Why Participation Matters.
10 Percentage of high school seniors in the sport using marijuana in the past 30 days. Data from Monitoring the Future Study (2010-15) and analyzed by Women’s Sports Foundation in Teen Sport in America: Why Participation Matters.
11 Percentage of high school seniors in the sport who cut class for a full day in the past month. Data from Monitoring the Future Study (2010-15) and analyzed by Women’s Sports Foundation in Teen Sport in America: Why Participation Matters.
12 Percentage of high school seniors in the sport who have an average grade of an A or A-. Data from Monitoring the Future Study (2010-15) and analyzed by Women’s Sports Foundation in Teen Sport in America: Why Participation Matters.
13 Percentage of high school seniors in the sport who expect to graduate from a four-year college. Data from Monitoring the Future Study (2010-15) and analyzed by Women’s Sports Foundation in Teen Sport in America: Why Participation Matters.
14 Average scores of high school seniors in the sport in psychological health report card. Data for these six categories came from Monitoring the Future Study (2010-15) and analyzed by Women’s Sports Foundation in Teen Sport in America: Why Participation Matters. Scoring ranges from 1-5, with 5 being the best for self-esteem, self-efficacy and social support.