The problem is that concussion signs – still the best way to identify a concussion – are difficult to spot, and athletes often hide their symptoms. To fill them, coaches, parents, and athletes will be encouraged in Step Two in the #TeamUp4ConcussionSafety program to continue learning about concussions by taking our online concussion education course. (As I have learned from long experience with youth and high school sports programs, making attendance at a concussion safety meeting voluntary virtually guarantees a lot of no-shows.) Because improving concussion safety requires a team effort, we believe that all those with a stake in concussion safety should sign pledges, not just athletes. With consistent messaging and constant reinforcement of the value of immediate concussion reporting in achieving your team’s performance goals, and by making athletes feel comfortable in reporting, we believe that, not only will attitudes and beliefs about concussion reporting begin to change, but the concussion reporting behavior of your athletes will start to change as well, and that, over time, the culture of resistance to concussion symptom reporting will be replaced by a sports culture of concussion safety.

Source: Huffington Post September 11, 2017 16:01 UTC