Stricter Enforcement of Rules Against Helmet-to-Helmet Contact: The Time For Action Is Now

Submitted by Brooke de Lench on Thu, 04/11/2013 - 13:10. | comments

The most recent consensus statement on concussion in sport (1) states that "rule enforcement may be a critical aspect of modifying injury risk."

Watch any high school football game and you will see a lot of helmet-to-helmet contact in the trenches, much of which has been technically illegal for over three decades. The problem is that penalties are rarely, if ever, called; so much so, that linemen see leading with their helmet, perversely, as a form of self-protection. The time for that to change is now.

Brooke de Lench

Lost in Translation: The Perils of Tweeting About Concussions

Submitted by Brooke de Lench on Thu, 02/28/2013 - 18:14. | comments

One of the things I try to do every day is carve out time to keep up with what people are saying on Twitter, and occasionally throwing in my two-cents worth. For those of you reading this blog who follow MomsTEAM on Twitter, it won't come as any big surprise that concussions in sports seems to be the topic that most often lights up the youth sports Twittersphere.

But as anyone active on Twitter also knows, condensing one's thoughts into 140 character "tweets" is often a challenge, and can sometimes leave a lot to be desired, especially when one is talking about a subject as complex as concussions.

Last night was one of those times.

As anyone active on Twitter knows, condensing one's thoughts into 140 character "tweets" is often a challenge, especially when one is talking about a subject as complex as concussions. Last night was one of those times.

Brooke de Lench

Chronic Under-Reporting Of Concussion: Is Changing The Culture A Realistic Solution?

Submitted by Brooke de Lench on Tue, 02/26/2013 - 03:39. | comments

If your child plays a contact or collision sport, whether at the youth, middle school or high school level, odds are that at some point in their athletic career they will suffer a concussion. How well they recover depends a lot on how quickly their concussion is identified so they can be removed from practice or game action.

A lot of student-athletes - a declining percentage, fortunately - don't appreciate precisely when they have suffered a concussion. There are a lot of reasons:

Most athletes won't self-report concussion symptoms to sideline personnel, much less voluntarily remove themselves from the game. Changing the culture is one way to address the problem of chronic under-reporting, but it can't be counted on as a panacea.

Brooke de Lench

Aspen Institute Football Roundtable Was Valuable, But Changed Few Minds

Submitted by Brooke de Lench on Mon, 11/12/2012 - 17:32. | comments

Last Friday, I participated in a roundtable discussion in Washington, D.C. conducted by the Aspen Institute's Sports & Society program called "Playing Safety: The Future of Youth Football?" It was moderated by ESPN's Tom Farrey and, in the phrase made famous by the movie Casablanca, rounded up all the usual suspects on concussion safety and football, including MomsTEAM concussion expert emeritus Dr. Bob Cantu, USA Football Executive Director Scott Hallenbeck, and NFL Player Association President DeMaurice Smith, among other luminaries from the world of football and journalism. I was indeed honored to be asked to join those debating the future of the sport.

The Aspen Institute's discussion on the future of youth and high school football rounded up the usual suspects, both those advocating against tackle football before age 14 or abolishing the sport altogether, and those saying that the best approach is to institute reforms so that teams can play smart, not scared.

MomsTeam's de Lench Joins Aspen Institute Roundtable On Future of Youth Football

MomsTEAM Founder and Publisher, Brooke de Lench, will be participating in an Aspen Institute roundtable discussion on the future of youth and high school football in the United States on Friday, November 9, 2012 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in Washington, D.C.

Brooke de Lench

Pop Warner Concussion Scandal: Lessons Learned

Submitted by Brooke de Lench on Thu, 10/25/2012 - 17:36. | comments

The Pop Warner concussion scandal - one that, sadly, occurred right in my backyard here in Massachusetts - has put youth football under the microscope once again.

The Pop Warner concussion scandal has put youth football under the microscope once again. But is what happened in that single game reason enough to pull a kid out of football, or never sign him (or her) up in the first place? I don't think so.

Brooke de Lench

Head Games Movie Review: Most Appreciated My Candor

Submitted by Brooke de Lench on Wed, 10/03/2012 - 18:26. | comments

As I expected, my review of Head Games: The Movie has generated a lot of mail in the last two days, many from respected health care professionals and experts around the country. Most wrote to congratulate, thank, and/or applaud me for having the courage to post such a thorough, candid, and critical review, one which was informed by my years covering the concussion issue, not by all the media hype surrounding the film. Just as predictably, some of the mail I received was not quite so flattering.

As I expected, my review of Head Games: The Movie has generated a lot of mail in the last two days. Most wrote to congratulate, thank, and/or applaud me for having the courage to post such a thorough, candid, and critical review, one which was informed by my years covering the concussion issue, not by all the media hype surrounding the film. Just as predictably, some of the mail I received was not, to be honest, quite so flattering.

Concussions and Our Kids: America's Leading Expert on How To Protect Young Athletes and Keep Sports Safe

About a month ago the folks at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt sent me a review copy of Dr. Bob Cantu's new book, Concussions and Our Kids: America's Leading Expert on How To Protect Young Athletes and Keep Sports Safe, which launched today and which he co-authored with sports journalist Mark Hyman. I took it to read on the short train ride from Boston to New York the very next day, and was able to finish it before the train pulled into Penn Station.

While it has much to recommend it, the book is marred by several pieces of advice it gives - or omits to give - that seem to ignore critical changes in the thinking of concussion experts over the past decade, including some from Dr. Cantu himself.

Reviewed by Brooke de Lench

Brooke de Lench

Buyer Beware (Part Two): NFHS Has NOT Endorsed Use of Football Helmet Covers As Reducing Concussion Risk

Submitted by Brooke de Lench on Sun, 09/16/2012 - 17:28. | comments

In recent weeks I have written a number of blogs about claims by equipment manufacturers that their products prevent or reduce the risk of concussions.

First, it was to call attention to a settlement between the Federal Trade Commission and Brain Pad, a mouth guard manufacturer, barring the company from claiming that its mouthguard reduced the risk of concussion.

Next, it was to deconstruct some carefully-worded claims in a press release by a company named Unequal Technologies touting supplemental helmet protective pads utilizing so-called CRT (concussion reduction technology).

Beware of claims that external football helmet pads, now permitted in high school football, actually prevent or reduce the risk of concussion, says MomsTEAM founder, Brooke de Lench.

Brooke de Lench

Exertional Heat Stroke: A Must-See Video

Submitted by Brooke de Lench on Thu, 09/06/2012 - 14:32. | comments

Since our launch in August 2000, MomsTEAM has been educating parents, coaches, athletic trainers and players on the dangers of heat illness, how to prevent exertional heat stroke - particularly among football players who are most at risk during pre-season practice - and how heat stroke should be treated if and when it occurs.

MomsTEAM and the Korey Stringer Institute have been educating parents, coaches, athletic trainers, and athletes for years on the dangers of exertional heat stroke and how to prevent the sudden death of athletes. Here is a great new video from KSI that every parent of an athlete, regardless of sport, should watch.

Sports Safety