Youth Football Results in High Concussion Rates

Walton Law Firm

Teenagers in Poway and throughout Southern California are involved in contact sports at school and in local leagues, putting those teens at risk of concussions. Much of the research over the last decade on concussions, football, and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) has focused on college and professional athletes and, more recently, high school players. Yet tackle football is not just a sport that athletes begin playing in their later teenage years. Children as young as 5 years old are involved in tackle football leagues, and many continue playing annually up through high school and into college. Those kids may sustain multiple concussions before they even reach middle school. And, according to a recent study published in The Journal of Pediatrics, about 5 out of every 100 players aged 5 to 14 suffers a concussion every season.

What else should you know about traumatic brain injuries and very young football players? Our Poway brain injury lawyers can tell you more about the recent study and can discuss your legal options if your child sustained a concussion while playing tackle football or another contact sport.

Tracking Concussions in Elementary and Middle School Football Players

The recent study on concussions among younger tackle football players begins by emphasizing that head injuries in this age group have proven more difficult to track than traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) in older football players and other contact sport athletes. Indeed, as the authors of the study explain, up until their work, estimates of concussions among football players in this age group were thought to be lower than they actually are. The low and inaccurate estimates of TBIs in this age group of football players are likely due to the lack of a system for properly tracking concussions.

Team managers and coaches are primarily tasked with keeping track of head injuries among tackle football players between the ages of 5 and 14, but those reports have proven incomplete, according to a recent study. Among older football players, athletic trainers are tasked with keeping close track of brain injuries, and the study suggests that younger players also need athletic trainers. That recommendation has been echoed by the American Academy of Pediatrics. As a press release on the new study underscores, “without a medical professional on the sidelines, it is likely that some child players with concussions go undiagnosed.”

What the New Research Tells Us

Just how common are concussions in child football players, and how serious are the injuries? There are more than 400,000 kids across the country starting at age 5 who play tackle football in Pop Warner leagues, and according to the study, about 5% of them are concussed every year.

As the Boston University CTE Center underscores, younger kids who sustain concussions are actually at increased risk of immediate harm and long-term damage due to the developing nature of their brains. In particular, kids between the ages of 5 and 8 are more likely to sustain more severe injuries because of the size of their brain and head in relation to the rest of their body, and concussions are linked more often to “impulsive behaviors and cognitive problems.”

Contact a Poway Brain Injury Attorney Today for Assistance

Was your child injured with a concussion while playing youth football or another contact sport? If so, the league, a coach, or another party could be liable for harm. As researchers learn more about the dangers of sports-related concussions, it is important for parents and caregivers to ensure that any negligent coaches or sports doctors are held accountable. One of the experienced Poway brain injury lawyers at our firm can speak with you today about your case and your options. Contact the Walton Law Firm for assistance and additional information.

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