Concussions in Youth Sports

Athletics and play are great ways for kids to stay healthy and gain important skills in leadership and teamwork.  Unfortunately, concussions can occur in all sports and activities from any contact including bumps, blows or jolts to the head or body. It is crucial for school personnel, coaches and nurses to recognize the signs and symptoms of concussions, understand the potential consequences and prevent further injury.

TRAINING

Heads Up: Concussion in Youth Sports – This training video developed by the CDC provides a comprehensive review of facts about concussion, recognizing signs, symptoms and the appropriate response to ensure health and safety. The video includes a testing module and also a feature allowing  the viewer to move back and forth between the video and specific resources. SIA recommends this training for every school and coaching staff involved in youth activities.  Online training 

PRINTED MATERIALS

The CDC has developed a variety of excellent materials for educating school staff, coaches, and health professionals about concussion and traumatic brain injury.

  For teachers and coaches – signs, symptoms and action plan clipboard flyer  
  For nurses – concussion signs and symptoms checklist  
  For athletes – concussion fact sheet  

  Additional resources  

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= MS Excel/.xls format	= Rich Text/.rtf format	= External website