Sports Safety
- A concussion is a brain injury. Every year millions of children get sports and recreation concussions. Around 12% of child athletes, that’s 1 out of every 8, get hurt each year. So remember, concussions are common - and they’re serious.
- <LEARN MORE> - link down / external etc
The facts
Let’s start with the good news. Participating in sports is healthy for children. It provides physical exercise and activity. It teaches children discipline, teamwork, and leadership. So sports are a positive. BUT children can and do get hurt in sports.
Each year, over 8 and a half million children are treated in emergency departments for a sports-related injury. That’s about one injury every 2 minutes! Parents can play an important role in keeping children safe from sports-related injuries. You can teach children to play sports by the rules and to listen to their coaches.
What parents can do
Have your child wear protective gear.
Before they leave for practice, be sure gear like helmets are packed or worn.
Click here to learn what gear your child should use for sports and play Safety Gear for Sports and Play
Take your child for medical care if you suspect a concussion or serious injury.
Concussions can be serious and delaying medical care can have serious consequences.
Go to Infocabeza.org/learn to learn more about symptoms, how concussion occurs in different sports, and how sometimes symptoms can come on right away, but other times they can take a few minutes or hours.
Test Yourself
Sports concussion information
You can learn more by checking out the following links:
Equipment
Make sure you are using the right equipment the right way!
Downloads
Here are some one-page concussion guides for parents and coaches:
Brain Injury Safety Tips and Prevention from the CDC
There are many ways to help reduce the risk of a concussion or other serious brain injury both on and off the sports field.
Check out these safety and prevention tips from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for your favorite sports: