PBS will be airing a report today about the hits youth football players take while playing the sport that so many love;
Kids who play football make — and take — hits to the head just as hard as any high school, college or NFL player. That’s what the data show; it’s not partisan, it’s not political and it’s not trying to suck the fun out of recreational sports. Journalist Stone Phillips delved into never-before-conducted research by Virgina Tech that could have a long-lasting impact on how little kids suit up for football.
The report by Stone Phillips will be recounting the work done by the Wake Forest/Virgina Tech researchers, posted here in February.
The Concussion Blog 
Dustin, Thanks for posting this. Good to see this information reaching a wider audience. Parents need to be aware of the risks when they sign their children up for football. Actually, parents need to know that no one really knows the long term impact yet.
They had a live chat at the link that’s worth checking out. At the 12:27 point, Shannon Baxter shares the story of her son sustaining a second concussion after being put back into a game by youth coaches who weren’t trained in concussion recognition. Some people feel I’ve made a big deal about my son’s concussion in youth football, but the reason I keep on sharing it is because I saw first hand that a catastrophic injury was possible due to the lack of awareness. I’m so sorry to hear that her son’s injury sounds very serious and potentially life altering.
Folks, there is a http://www.GuardianCaps.com product that has proven to reduce concussions for practice. It is light and check website for details. If I can answer any questions, comment below.
Graham,
I love innovation. I don’t know if I would consider this product as a concussion reducer, it can surely do something with attenuating linear focal forces on a helmet… Why don’t you do a write up and send it in…
I was unable to identify the studies that Guardian claims are based upon. Graham would you post them.
Second, much like the protect helmet the exterior surface area and volume have increased. Therefore, it changes the rotational properties of head, neck and spine. Furthermore, the material itself would increase the co-efficient of friction thereby increasing the forces on the subject’s head, neck and spine. Finally, it is unclear how much the weight of the padding has changed the moment of the helmet and the effect on the head, neck and spine. This concentration on g-forces that dominates the discussion clearly demonstrate that system dynamicists and mechanical engineers have not been participating in designing or overseeing the design of helmets.
Good comments Joe… I have asked Graham to write something up for all of us to see…
Really interesting video. It’s good to see that researchers are focused on protecting the millions of youth football players, not just the pros.
http://www.wickedlocal.com/billerica/news/x876163265/Billerica-youth-sports-stay-ahead-of-the-game-by-stopping-concussions?zc_p=0#axzz1rpO5JgPG
“Higgins said he is considering making each youth group’s permit approvals contingent upon coach certifications. He wants coaches aware of what the warning signs are. He also suggested youth sports organizations could disseminate the concussion information to the parents as well as post flyers at their concession stands.”
Good sign … some areas are way ahead of others.