football

The Sports Legacy Institute's  "Hit Count" initiative is designed to dramatically reduce youth athletes' exposure to repetitive brain trauma in multiple sports, with the goal to reduce concussions, sub-concussive trauma and risk of developing Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE).

Vertebral artery (e.g. whiplash) injuries, such as the one that claimed the life of Canadian freestyle skier, Sarah Burke, can occur to athletes in contact sports, such as football and hockey, and sports where falling is common, such as skateboarding and skiing

MomsTeam Founder and Publisher, Brooke de Lench, talks about the difficult decision to pull a son with a history of multiple concussions and learning disabilities out of high school football and lacrosse, and says parents should have a right to expect when they entrust their children to a sports program that it will take reasonable precautions to protect them against harm. In other words, parents have a right to expect that the entire team to whom they entrust their children's safety — including the national governing body for the child's sport, the state association, the athletic or club director, the athletic trainer (if there is one), and especially the coaches - are part of the concussion solution, not part of the problem.

The conclusion that chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is caused by concussions and repetitive subconcussive brain trauma is scientifically premature, say an increasing number of researchers.

A 2011 study confirms that football is still responsible for the majority of concussions at the high school level and that the symptoms of concussion clear in most cases within one week, but also shows for the first time the important role computerized neuropsychological testing is playing in concussion assessment and return to play decisions.  

Virginia has become the first state in the nation to ban the use of energy drinks such as Red Bull, Monster and Rockstar by student-athletes during high school football games and practices.

The number of sport-related concussions is highest in high-school aged athletes, but the number among younger athletes is significant and on the rise, according to a first-of-its-kind study reported in the journal Pediatrics.  The number of concussions among athletes ages 7 to 13 in the top five team sports (football, basketball, baseball, soccer and ice hockey) doubled over a four year period, and the concussion rates among those playing ice hockey and football are eight- to ten-times higher than the overall  rate.

U.S. high school athletes suffer an estimated 9,237 time-loss heat illnesses every year that are serious enough to keep them out of sports for one or more days, according to a new, first-of-its kind report from the Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention (CDC), with football players most prone to heat illness.

Of the estimated 715,000 high school sports-related injuries which are sustained by youth athletes each year, many, such as sprains, strains, fractures and concussions, are hard to prevent.  Some sports injuries, however, including bacterial skin infections like Community-Acquired Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (CA-MRSA), impetigo and folliculitis, are preventable if athletes, coaches, and parents take certain precautions, including hand washing with antibacterial gel or wipes containing CHG.