StopCTE – The Patrick Risha CTE Awareness Foundation Coaches, Athletic Trainers and School Administrators - StopCTE - The Patrick Risha CTE Awareness Foundation

As an organization, knowing what we know about the brain, we advocate that no child should play a contact sport and that all contact sports at all levels should limit the exposure to repetitive head impacts. Research is showing clearly that brain changes occur in children after a season of contact sports. And also concerning is research that shows limited cerebral blood flood a year after a concussion and long after the athlete was allowed to return to play. This can be dangerous for the development of a child’s brain and may set a child up for even more permanent damage and even possible death from second impact syndrome. There is so much that neurologists DO NOT KNOW about the brain; it is the new frontier. We need to be cautious until we fully understand how to protect the mental and cognitive health of our young athletes. Sports are a very important part of a child’s physical and mental development. Prioritizing reaching peak performance and building player confidence is more important than any score of a game. Please see the below suggestions:

TEAM UP TO SPEAK UP

The core message: that athletes have a responsibility to report to a team leader if they notice concussion symptoms in a teammate.

Invite your players, parents and colleagues to take the pledge to look out for each other. Stress the importance of valuing your most important organ, the brain. Make it clear that no child should try to tough out an injury and that player health is more important than a game. Create an atmosphere where kids feel safe reporting injuries without fear of judgment or losing a playing position. Designate staff to look out for possible head traumas.

PRACTICE LIKE THE PROS

Did you know that most sports related injuries occur in practice?

In high school football, 60% to 75% of head trauma occurs in practice, not games. In the NFL, that number is 3%. That’s because the pros do not hit in practice. Research shows that limiting the amount of full-contact tackling during football practices can have a big impact on reducing the number of concussions among players. This is probably also true for other football injuries such as sprains, fractures, and dislocations. Coaches who choose to effectively reduce contact in practice will not only save lives, but could also save the game of football. The number of participants in tackle football is dwindling over the concern of safety. The game is changing and we need to be on the forefront changing the culture of hitting to harm to hitting for purpose.
The Ivy League schools use a model for not allowing hitting in practice. Being healthy and fresh on game day outweighs banged up players and may keep the game alive and families intact. During practice in the NFL you are in shorts and shells and you are tapping people and letting them run by. Very few people ever touch the ground. Ivy League and pro players get 500-800 reps of controlled tackling throughout the season which is much more than any other full-contact practice could accomplish. The advice is to learn tackling techniques with minimal contact and then use those techniques in full-contact games for the rest of their careers with less wear and tear and overall exposure to concussion risk. The winningest college coach in history, John Gagliardi from St. John’s in Minnesota, ran very limited-contact practices similar to touch football. He said the biggest drawback to coaching football was seeing people hurt. We hope you agree.

KNOW THE SIGNS OF A CONCUSSED ATHLETE

We know too many stories of young athletes that ended their life or struggled with addiction and mental issues after a concussion or repetitive head impacts.

The brain is very fragile and an athlete struggling to please their team may not raise a white flag when it needs to happen. EVERYONE needs to be versed on picking up signs of when an athlete is showing evidence of an inflamed brain. If any child seems a little “off” they need to take the bench until they can be evaluated. Be vigilant to look for confusion, headaches, fatigue, slurred speech, stumbling, agitation, etc. Allowing an athlete to play while the brain is inflamed could lead to life long mental issues or even death. Once an athlete is removed from play it is important to prioritize recovery over return to play.

OPT FOR NON-CONTACT VERSIONS OF THE SPORT

Brain trauma for children is not as popular as it once was. Boxing went by the wayside for kids and slowly other sports that involve head trauma for athletes is being replaced by safer versions.

Consider playing flag football. The 2028 Olympics will feature a flag football event instead of tackle. Flag requires less equipment and is more inclusive than tackle. It has all the pluses of playing on a football team without the dangers inherent to a contact sport.

In soccer, play non-heading versions where the focus is on other skills to pass the ball.

Eliminate checking in hockey.