Lacrosse Most Dangerous for Heart-Stopping Shots

[ABC News, August 10, 2009] After Cornell University defenseman George Boiardi was struck in the chest with a lacrosse ball in the closing minutes of a 2004 collegiate game, he collapsed to the turf, and his heart stopped. The shot he blocked had killed him. It was literally a million-to-one shot, if not more unlikely. Overall, 23 lacrosse players in the United States have had the sport trigger sudden death or cardiac arrest since 1980. Four have survived the experience; the other 19 died. "The message is that there are risks associated with sports in young people, but it does not appear that lacrosse, which is the fastest growing youth sport in America, is associated with excessive risk compared to other sports," said Dr. Barry Maron of the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation, the study's lead author. Read more.