Concussions are becoming a more recognizable problem lately.
In addition to recognizing when kids actually have concussions, parents, coaches, and players are more aware of the long-term consequences of having a concussion, especially of having multiple concussions.
There are still a lot of unanswered questions though.
Stone Phillips tries to answer one of them in his report "Hard Hits, Hard Numbers: The First Study of Head Impacts in Youth Football." The report discusses the findings of a Virginia Tech study that followed 7- and 8-year-old football players who wore special helmets with sensors that could record the impact that their helmets wore taking when getting hit. Not surprisingly, most of the top hits were in the range that you would see in a concussion.
The report is a good reminder that kids playing youth sports aren't immune to getting concussions. Unfortunately, parents and coaches often aren't as aware of the symptoms of a concussion or return to play guidelines at this age. The Virginia Tech study will hopefully find ways to make youth football safer and perhaps even find ways to make helmets safer, but if nothing else, it will hopefully raise awareness about concussions.
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Return to Play - Concussion Guidelines
Symptoms of a Concussion
Acute Concussion Evaluation Forms
Helmets
