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With 4 boys running around, you know we’ve had our fair share of hospital visits! After hearing stories from my husband, one visit I don’t want to take is for a concussion. Concussions have been a hot topic in youth, minor & professional sports for a while now and many changes have been and continue to be made for the safety of the players.
Myself, along with a few other NFL Mom Bloggers, recently had the opportunity to submit some questions to the folks over at the NFL about Youth Sports Safety & Concussions. Our questions were answered by a fabulous panel of experts including:
‘Football Mom’ Chris Golic
Dr. Elizabeth Pieroth
Dr. Douglas Cassa of the Korey Stringer Institute
Nick Inzerello USA Football Senior Director of Football Development
So what would you ask this panel of experts?
Lets get to the Q&A
What are your best tips for keeping kids hydrated while playing with pads in the heat? (Jeannette, Jman and Millerbug)
Three C’s for Hydrating during Football Practices
Convenient – Make sure the fluid is located near the sessions and players at all times so that they can drink between reps, and not just during formal breaks.
Cold – Make sure the hydration is kept chilled so that fluid consumption is encouraged.
Container – Encourage individual containers so that athletes do not have to wait in line or share. We recommend using water bottles with ice packs included, so that the beverage can stay cold the entire practice even if not in a cooler – although we recommend keeping them all individually labeled with names in a cooler when not using
How can we as parents ensure the coach is following the proper rules when it comes to the safety of the game? (Becky, My Sparkling Life)
Well first and foremost, gone are the days when parents just drop their children off at practice and assume everything is being done correctly. A lot has changed! Moms and dads need to educate themselves with information regarding their child’s safety on the football field. Take the time to learn the basics of important safety fundamentals regarding equipment fitting, tackling, heat and hydration, along with recommended practice guidelines. Then ask your league if they’re part of USA Football’s Heads Up Football program. If they are, you will be happy to know that their league is part of a program that was created with your child’s safety being a priority. If they are not, it may shed some light on how the program is run. More than half of the youth leagues in America are part of the Heads Up Football program, check with your league and see if they are a part of the movement. – Chris Golic
Excellent question. If your child plays football, this is where USA Football’s Heads Up Football program and its medically endorsed standards offer peace of mind. Where Heads Up Football is in place, the sport is taught and played better and safer than it was just a few short years ago. Created by USA Football and experts in medicine and sport, the program offers coaching education, better teaching of the game’s fundamentals and adherence to the best available science when it comes to player safety, which is USA Football’s No. 1 priority. As a parent, your involvement is vital to a great sports experience. Find a league near you that implements Heads Up Football by visiting www.usafootball.com/headsup. And if your league isn’t practicing Heads Up Football, encourage it to do so – more than half of all U.S. youth leagues participate in the program. – Nick Inzerello, USA Football
When you have a concern about the safety of a team is there someone above the coach you can talk to? (Becky, My Sparkling Life)
I think it’s always important to approach a coach first about any concerns you may have regarding your team. Always approach a coach at an appropriate time and in the right state of mind. It’s important to have a calm discussion about issues rather than being confrontational or accusatory. After all the coaches are volunteers giving their time to the children. If no [solution] can be found with the coach then you will need to approach the safety monitor for the league or an administrator about your concerns. – Chris Golic
If your league is in USA Football’s Heads Up Football program, reach your Player Safety Coach (PSC) – every high school and youth league that participates in the program has one. In addition to your PSC, you can contact your club or league commissioner with your concern. There’s also strength in a consensus. If applicable, share your concerns with other moms and dads and present them to your league’s leadership together. – Nick Inzerello, USA Football
With recent research and discussion on the subject of concussions – how are youth sports changing and evolving? (Jodi, The Noise of Boys)
Concussions in sports are definitely an important topic, and, as a result, there have been many changes that have made the game better and safer. There is now an unprecedented focus on proper equipment fitting, better tackling techniques and refined practice guidelines, along with specific concussion protocols for leagues to follow. Educating coaches, parents and players regarding these components play a significant role in helping to keep the player as safe as possible. – Chris Golic
Most youth leagues across all sports address player safety in better ways today than they did a few years ago. This is certainly true in youth and high school football where USA Football’s Heads Up Football program is in place. Innovative research is driving new standards, changing behavior for the better, which delivers educated coaches and important standards rooted in the best available science for the good of our young athletes. More than 5,500 youth leagues – representing more than half of all U.S. youth leagues– and nearly 1,000 high schools across 44 states are committed to the health and safety of their young athletes by taking part in Heads Up Football. And the program is adaptable, continually evaluated by leaders in medicine and sport. Findings from a national study spanning more than 2,000 youth players across four states suggest that Heads Up Football reduces injuries by 76 percent. – Nick, Inzerello, USA Football
Is it possible for the doctors to provide a blow-by-blow directive about what specifically should be done immediately following the diagnosis of a concussion? For example, should parents automatically seek a second opinion? Should the child be taken immediately to the ER – even if parents are comfortable with the treatment their child has received by the doctor on the sidelines or by their family physician? (Courtney, Brown Girl With Long Hair)
If an athlete has been evaluated by a physician on the sidelines and there was no evidence of neurologic change, they typically do not need to be seen in the ER. The physician would provide information on what symptoms to watch for in the next hours or days. The Center for Disease Control has a nice description of the signs and symptoms of concussions and the warning signs that indicate the injured person should be taken to the hospital emergently. (http://www.cdc.gov/concussion) Primary care physicians, pediatricians, emergency room physicians and internal medicine physicians are all well trained to diagnose a concussion.
The diagnosis itself is based first on the presence of a mechanism of injury (i.e., was there enough biomechanical force applied to the head to cause a concussion) and then on the patient’s report of symptoms. It is important to rule out other causes for those symptoms (e.g., headaches due to dehydration), but the diagnosis is heavily based on the patient’s own report.
If a patient or a parent has a good relationship with a physician and they are comfortable that this physician has the appropriate level of experience with diagnosing and managing concussions, then a second opinion is not typically warranted. Most individuals who suffer a concussion recover in a brief period of time and do not require specialized care. However, if the treating physician does not feel he or she has adequate training or experience to handle a concussion, if the history is more complex or if the patient is experiencing persistent symptoms, a referral to a specialist may be appropriate. – Dr. Pieroth
On the heels of the question above, is it possible for the doctors to clarify what the child should and should not do in the weeks following their concussion diagnosis? For example, I’ve read that the child’s exposure to light should be minimized – but what constitutes too much light? Should the child remain in a room with blinds and curtains drawn? (This would mean that even attending school would be out of the question, right?) And, if yes, for how long? (Courtney, Brown Girl With Long Hair)
A number of patients who have suffered a concussion will be sensitive to light and/or sound. These individuals tend to prefer more dimly lit rooms but there is no evidence that sitting in a dark room is curative or helps speed recovery. Other patients will not be sensitive to light, so restriction to dark rooms may be quite bothersome. However, we do encourage reducing activity and stimulation immediately post-injury. Just like if you had the flu, you would take it easy and rest for a couple of days. There is no current evidence that extensive rest aids the recovery process, but there is growing amount of research that indicates staying away from school, work or other activities for long periods of time contributes to other symptoms, such as mood disturbance.
We typically recommend keeping a student home from school 1-2 days post-injury but returning to the school environment, with modifications, if their symptoms are manageable. They do not need to be fully without symptoms to return to school. There is increasing evidence that lengthy time away from school does not improve recovery from concussion. For further details see : http://www.nflevlution.com – Dr. Pieroth
Now my boys haven’t played football in a few years, but my oldest is preparing to play in 7th grade next year and safety is a top concern! I can’t wait to join the legion of moms on the sideline cheering on my (not so) little guy.
I hope this Q&A was informative and answered any questions that you may have about youth sports safety and concussions. See you on the field!
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Infograffics and Q&A were provided & hosted by the NFL. As an NFL Mom Blogger my goal is to inform parents of the importance of proper health, encouraging activity and promoting safety initiatives pertaining to youth.