Concussion Awareness
Every year, players of all ages in all sports receive concussion injuries during games and practice. Characterized by an impairment of the brain’s normal function and caused by violent shaking or jarring of the brain, concussions may cause alterations in cognitive function, vision, eye movement, facial movement, or speech. Contrary to popular belief, no helmet in any sport can prevent a concussion.

Video: ESPN Discussion on Banning Collisons from Youth Sports
► US Lacrosse Video: "Concussions in Lacrosse: Signs, Symptoms and Playing Safe" hosted by Team USA's Stephen and Kelly Berger
Video: Concussions - Don't Hide It, Report It from the NCAA
Concussion Trends in High School Sports
Effectiveness of Protective Eyewear in Women's Lacrosse 
Video Analysis of Injuries
www.sportsconcussions.org  | Helmet Fitting is Critical
States with Concussion Awareness Laws
State Concussion Laws Overview
Sports Legacy Institute
Free Concussion Webinar from CJSportsMed

The study and treatment of concussions in athletes has received significant attention in recent years. A revitalized interest in concussion management is taking place in the fields of neurology and neurosurgery.



Free CDC Resources on Concussions & Traumatic Brain Injury
Concussions are a type of traumatic brain injury (TBI), caused by a blow or jolt to the head that can range from mild to severe and can disrupt the way the brain normally works. More than 300,000 people sustain sports- and recreation-related TBIs every year in this country. Coaches, athletic directors and trainers play a key role in helping to prevent concussion and in managing it properly if it occurs.

US Lacrosse and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have partnered to develop a number of educational resources regarding concussions. These resources, titled Heads Up, contain practical, easy-to-use information designed to help reduce the numbers of this type of injury.  

Related Articles


The Fragile Teenage Brain: An In-Depth Look at Concussions in High School Football (Grantland.com)
January 10, 2012 - According to a study published last year in Neurosurgery, high school football players who suffered two or more concussions reported mental problems at much higher rates, including headaches, dizziness, and sleeping issues.

Helmets in Lacrosse? Girls Say Butt Out (Huffington Post)
Sept. 21, 2011 - Because the games are played so differently, the question of whether to put helmets on females in lacrosse becomes not just a struggle over headgear. Rather, it reflects a deeper debate about questions of aggression and equity in women's and men's sports.

Testing Helps Change the Game on Youth Concussions (USA Today)
May 25, 2011 - The ImPACT tests are one tool doctors and athletic trainers can use to tell when it is safe to return to the field.

Why We Should Step Up Vigilance of Concussions in Teen Girls (The Washington Post)
April 5, 2011 - When a recent study examined the three high school sports that are most similar for boys and girls — basketball, soccer and baseball vs. softball — girls consistently suffered twice as many concussions as boys.

Rules Enforcement and Education Key to Limiting Concussions (The Baltimore Sun)
March 11, 2011 - Concussions are becoming a problem, and research suggests that better helmets — a popular proposal — are not a realistic solution.

Girls' Lacrosse Helmets...Not so Fast (SportsConcussions.org)
March 7, 2011 - At first glance, it seems like an open-and-shut case: in this climate of concussion awareness, shouldn't every athlete - male or female - who has an opportunity to wear a helmet do so?

Headbanger Nation (Time Magazine)
February, 2011 - In the U.S., concussions are an alarmingly commonplace injury that often fly under the radar and get passed off by coaches as a mere ding or ignored by players anxious to get back on the field.

A Case Against Helmets in Lacrosse (The New York Times)
February 16, 2011 - Although some safety advocates call for head protection in women’s lacrosse, almost everyone involved in the sport has said that its current ban on helmets for everyone but goaltenders is actually the safest approach.

Concussion Symptoms Differ Between Sexes (United Press International)
December 8, 2010 - Male and female U.S. high school athletes present different types of symptoms after experiencing a sport-related concussion, researchers say.

Keep Kids Off Playing Field After Concussion, Panel Urges (The Virginian-Pilot)
August 30, 2010 - New guidelines recommend that athletes be restricted from sports until symptoms disappear, and that other physical and brain-engaging activities also be curtailed. Doing homework, using a computer, even playing video games and watching TV can worsen the symptoms.

Clinical Report—Sport-Related Concussion in Children and Adolescents (American Academy of Pediatrics)
August 30, 2010 - Concussion can cause symptoms that interfere with school, social and family relationships, and participation in sports. This report serves as a basis for understanding the diagnosis and management of concussion in children and adolescent athletes.

Sports Imperative: Protecting Young Brains (The New York Times)
August 24, 2009 - If young athletes want to preserve their brains after a head injury, however minor, the typical jock advice to suck it up and get back in the game is not only bad, it’s potentially life-threatening.