Guest Post: Youth Sports Concussions – Keeping Our Kids Safe

Guest post by Julie Potyraj – the community manager for MPH@GW, the online Master of Public Health program offered by the Milken Institute School of Public Health at the George Washington University. For several years, she served as a community development specialist in Zambia coordinating youth empowerment and health education programs. She is currently an MPH@GW student focusing on health communications.

On a brisk October night in 2006, the parents of 13-year-old Zackery Lystedt weren’t overly concerned when their son struck his head while playing football. Slightly dazed but appearing to be OK, Zack was sidelined briefly and then returned to the game. But once the game was over, he collapsed on the field. Tests revealed he had suffered a serious brain injury requiring emergency surgery. This was followed by months in a coma and years of rehabilitation. The effects of his injury linger today.

What Zack’s parents and coaches didn’t know at the time was that he had suffered a concussion from the initial impact. If he hadn’t returned to play, he most likely would have fully recovered.  

A Call to Action

While youth head injuries are nothing new, Zack’s tragedy was a wake-up call for schools and sports leagues in his home state of Washington. In 2009, legislators passed the first concussion sports law, which provided a framework for handling sports-related head injuries. Between 2009 and 2014, all 50 states and the District of Columbia also passed concussion safety laws, now known collectively as “return-to-play” laws. 

Return-to-play laws have been effective; youth concussions are now being recognized and treated in greater numbers. Yet there are still barriers to implementation. Parents, coaches, and athletes must work together to create a safer environment for youth sports.

What Can Parents Do to Help?

Create a culture of safety. Join forces with your child’s coach to reinforce safety rules and rules of the sport. Encourage good sportsmanship. Reinforce the importance of reporting concussion symptoms and taking time to recover from one.

Emphasize helmet use. When playing certain contact sports, a helmet is critical. And even while wearing one, it’s essential to avoid direct hits to the head.

Know the signs of a concussion. Symptoms include:

• Losing consciousness (even for a few seconds)
• Appearing stunned or confused
• Answering questions slowly
• Vomiting or nausea
• Sensitivity to light or noise
• General feeling of unwellness

Remove your child from play if a concussion is suspected. Take your child out of the game or practice and seek immediate medical help. He or she should only return with the permission of a qualified provider. Don’t try to determine the severity of the injury yourself.

Don’t rush your child back to play after a head injury. Healing after a concussion takes time. Your child may need to shorten their school day, rest more frequently, get extra help with homework, and spend fewer hours on the computer or playing video games.

Keep coaches informed. Be sure to let any new coach know if your child has had a previous concussion.

Keeping our kids healthy starts at the ground level. As parents, we can have a major influence in enforcing return-to-play laws, reversing the rising tide of youth concussions, and making our playing fields safer for all our children.