7 Steps for Brain Safety
Minimum Recommended Guidelines for Youth Sports
Why Establish Guidelines?
Medical research has exposed a brain trauma crisis in contact sports. In sports like football, soccer, and ice hockey, studies show that every season around 50% of athletes experience concussive symptoms after a hit to the head. Unfortunately, only a small percentage of these are reported and diagnosed. Additionally, many diagnosed concussions are not treated properly. These undiagnosed and poorly managed concussions put young athletes at risk of post-concussion syndrome and Second-Impact Syndrome, which can cause permanent injury or even death. Finally, repetitive brain trauma suffered in youth sports is believed to lead to some athletes developing the progressive neurodegenerative brain disease Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), which can eventually lead to dementia.
While sports provide immense value both to athletes and our society in general, with current practices they are exposing children to unacceptable levels of brain damage. Much of this brain damage, however, is preventable with a few simple steps.
What are the Guidelines?
In 2010 Sports Legacy Institute first issued the “7 Steps to Brain Safety,” which are to be used as Minimum Recommended Guidelines for Brain Protection in Youth Sports.” The list comprises consensus best practices as well as progressive ideas. To be included, each guideline is required to be simple and free so that they can be adopted by any organized youth sports program. SLI hopes that programs choose to exceed these minimum guidelines. We ask that sports programs voluntarily adopt SLI’s Minimum Recommended Guidelines for Brain Protection in Youth Sports.
| #1 – Preseason Education for Coaches A program should require preseason concussion and brain trauma education for coaches. |
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Recommended Free Program CDC’s “Heads Up” Online Training Course Recommended SLI Program
ACT Other Recommended Programs
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| #2 – Preseason Education for Athletes A program should require preseason concussion and brain trauma education for athletes. |
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Recommended Free Program CDC Fact Sheet for High School Athletes CDC Fact Sheet for Youth Athletes Recommended SLI Program Additional Recommended Resources |
| #3 – Preseason Education for Parents A program should require preseason concussion and brain trauma education for coaches, athletes, and parents. |
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Recommended Free Program CDC’s “Heads Up” Online Training Course Recommended SLI Program Other Recommended Resources: |
| #4 - CDC Concussion Action Plan Programs should adopt the CDC Heads Up Concussion Action Plan. |
| Action Plan
If you suspect that a player has a concussion, you should take the following steps: |
| #5 -Utilize CDC Heads Up Program & Clipboard Sticker Coaches should be required to have the CDC Heads Up Stickers on their clipboards for easier access to both a list of common concussive signs and symptoms and an action plan if an athlete potentially experiences a concussion. |
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Recommended Free Program CDC Heads Up Program Use CDC Heads Up Clipboard Stickers For High School CoachesFor Youth Coaches |
| #6 – Prevention through Neck Strengthening Studies* have revealed that neck strength may be an important factor in reducing the forces on the brain resulting from impacts to the head. |
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Recommended Program Recommended Reading |
| #7 – Prevention through Overall Brain Trauma Reduction Coaches should monitor total brain trauma and strive to reduce both the number of hits to the head that players receive and the severity. Research on Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy from Boston University’s Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy indicates that risk of CTE may be more correlated to total lifetime brain trauma than concussions. |
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Recommended Program In 2010, there is no formal program available. SLI asks that coaches attempt to monitor brain trauma, and significantly reduce it going forward. Recommended Resources
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