Youth Sports Safety Month

April is Youth Sports Safety Month, which means we’ll be bringing you our top seven safety tips for some of the most popular youth sports. Perhaps the most contentious sports related injury of late is traumatic brain injury (TBI) in football. Although the National Football League (NFL) has recently come under fire after current and former players have come forward highlighting almost ubiquitous brain damage in the league, this injury is also sustained at all levels of play. Because the sport is a violent one, brain injuries can never be fully eliminated, but can be mitigated through proper coaching and technique. Here are our top safety tips for a safer sport:

Tackling, the most dangerous aspect of football, occurs on every play of the game and should be taught as a primary safety concern. According to USA Football , the key to an effective and safe tackle, according to the “Heads Up Tackling” fundamentals, is to lean into a 45° stance, buzz the feet to maintain balance and movement, rise into hit position with head and eyes up, open the hips to ascend into the tackle, and throw a double uppercut to secure the tackle. This system has come under fire as a play by commissioner Roger Goodell to protect the image of the NFL and to cover the league when it is accused of promoting violence in youth sports. Maybe the “Heads Up Tackling” system should be referred to as safer tackling, not safe tackling, and until then critics will continue to lampoon it as a disingenuous PR move.
A few simple rules changes could help reduce serious injury in youth football. Already a couple changes have made the sport safer at the collegiate and professional levels – moving the kickoff from 30 to 35 yard line, penalizing players who lower their heads for a tackle, cracking down on targeting fouls (NCAA), and having players sit out at least one play after a helmet comes off (high school). For the last few years there have been rumblings of eliminating the kickoff , but more realistic rules changes might include eliminating tackling in pre-adolescent and placing greater emphasis on the referees to err on the side of caution when making close calls. It seems that the rules can only go so far to prohibit certain kinds of dangerous contact, but when the culture of the game shifts to one of responsibility and respect rather than brute force, real advances in safety can be made.
If you’re going to play one of the most brutal contact sports, you’ve got to have the right equipment to give your brain a fighting chance. Although helmets have come along way since their inception over 100 years ago, there is still room for improvement. Although a University of Wisconsin study found that the rate of sports related concussions is not affected by manufacturer or age of helmet, the fitting of helmets is crucial to safety. Poorly-fitted helmets with under-inflated air bladder liners are responsible for an increased rate of concussion when impact occurs. This simple fix is especially important for youth football because younger players have a tendency to fall to the side when tackled, meaning there is greater chance of concussion when the head hits the ground. It is also worth noting that while mouth guards may prevent oral lacerations, they do not prevent concussions or dissipate force in any way.
The best way to prevent concussions may also be the most obvious – to strengthen the neck. Preliminary results published in the Primary Prevention journal support the theory that neck strength can reduce the rate of concussion. This study found that for every one pound increase in aggregate neck strength, the odds of concussion drops 5%. This is not to say that players with strong necks are impervious to concussion, but the data shows that out of 6,000 high school athletes across both sexes and several sports, the quartile with the strongest necks suffered the fewest concussions while the quartile with the weakest necks suffered the most concussions. Athletes can strengthen their necks by rotating their heads with their helmet on or by working against minimal resistance applied by a trainer or fellow athlete.
No matter the rules in place or the way coaches teach the game, football players will get concussions. That is why it is crucial that coaches and referees learn the signs of concussion and act accordingly by pulling the player from the game and contacting a hospital if need be. The most common signs of a concussion include: loss of consciousness, dazed look, athlete forgets plays or is unsure of surroundings, change in personality, or can’t recall events surrounding the hit. Some symptoms of a concussion (and a good indicator that one has occurred) are: headache or pressure in head, vomiting, dizziness, blurry vision, sensitivity to light, difficult concentrating, or feeling sluggish or groggy. If a coach observes any of these symptoms he should remove the athlete from the game, have the athlete evaluated by a health care professional, inform the athlete’s parents, and only allow the athlete to return to the game once he is cleared by a health care professional. Having an action plan prepared can prevent symptoms from getting worse and even save a life.

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Youth Sports Safety Month – Football

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