Sports Safety IQ

Concussion Update, Part II: More Brain Injury Prevention & Awareness for Parents & Coaches

   During National Brain Injury Awareness month, what do you as a parent or coach need to know about brain injuries that can occur during sports activities? First on the list is that concussions are on the rise in youth sports. Players are more aggressive, hitting harder and playing tougher, sometimes to their own detriment. And I'm not just talking about boys. Concussions among female athletes are soaring, with head injury rates among female soccer players, for example, rising to the level of those in the NFL. The competitive nature of sports, coupled with the competitive nature of parents these days (pushing kids to excel at all costs) and the added lure of college scholarships and lucrative pro contracts, all point to a driving sports culture that is not going to change any time soon. In this culture, injuries to kids are going to continue to escalate.

How, in this race to the highest levels of sports, can we prevent concussions and head injuries?

Concussion Update, Part I: Natasha Richardson's Death and Brain Injury Awareness Month

Part One in the "Concussion Update" series    

It is a terrible coincidence that actress Natasha Richardson's death on the ski slopes from a traumatic brain injury occurred during Brain Injury Awareness month. Each March, the Brain Injury Association of America sponsors events and publicity to raise awareness of brain injuries and their effects. This year, the association's focus -- and part of their year-long campaign -- is Sports & Concussions. What a tragic way of underscoring the seriousness of prevention and awareness of head injuries for athletes than to have the whole country focused on Natasha Richardson's story.