Pre-teens and teens benefit both physically and mentally from participating in sports. But it can be frustrating to be sidelined with an injury, especially if that injury could have been prevented. Outdoor play areas, equipment, and surfacing should be checked regularly.
Outdoor Safety and Quality Environments
Educational resources for athletes, parents and coaches. You are free to download our sports safety tips sheets, evaluate your playground using a simple checklist and more helpful tools in the handbooks on playtime safety.
HEADS UP to Youth Sports: Online Training
HEADS UP Concussion in Youth Sports is a free, online course available to coaches, parents, and others helping to keep athletes safe from concussion.
By taking this free, online course and using what you learn, you will be well positioned to improve the culture of concussion. Your actions can help create a safe environment for young athletes so that they can stay healthy, active, and thrive – both on and off the playing field.
Once you complete the training and quiz, you can print out a certificate, making it easy to show your league or school you are ready for the season.
What Will I Learn in This Training?
This course will help you:
- Understand a concussion and the potential consequences of this injury,
- Recognize concussion signs and symptoms and how to respond,
- Learn about steps for returning to activity (play and school) after a concussion, and
- Focus on prevention and preparedness to help keep an athlete safe season-to-season.
Read More: Free Concussion Training Course
Playgrounds are inherently safe spaces for children. They are a hub for child play, fun for families, enjoyment with friends, and places for communities to come together. However, these places are also locations where unintentional injuries occur and recent research has shown playgrounds are places where children are exposed to hazards.
Video: What Would Happen If You Replaced All Drinks with Water?
Top Safety Tips
- Before playing organized sports, make sure your child receives a pre-participation physical exam, or PPE, performed by a doctor, or a nurse practitioner or qualified clinician under the supervision of a physician. Whomever performs the exam, the same practices should be followed including the need for a medical history.
- Encourage children to drink water before, during and after athletic activities or play.
- Warming up and stretching before play can release muscle tension and help prevent sports-related injuries, such as muscle tears or sprains.
- An off-season is important. It is recommended that kids get 10 consecutive weeks of rest from any one sport every year.
- Make sure your coach is trained in first aid and CPR, and understands how to prevent, recognize and/or respond to concussions and overuse injuries.
Sports and Recreation Safety Useful Links
American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine - Founded in 1972, AOSSM is an international organization of orthopedic surgeons and other allied health professionals dedicated to sports medicine.
CDC Coaches' Training On Concussion - Heads Up Concussion in Youth Sports. A Centers for Disease Control training video for coaches on recognizing, understanding and preventing concussions.
Consumer Product Safety Commission - Protects the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death associated with use of the thousands of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction
National Athletic Trainers' Association - Organizational goal is to enhance the quality of health care provided by certified athletic trainers and to advance the athletic training profession.
National Program for Playground Safety - Helps the public create safe and developmentally appropriate play environments for children by delivering training and services about outdoor play and safety.
Sports and Recreation Safety Information - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - The Heads Up: Concussion in Youth Sports initiative offers information about concussions to coaches, parents, and athletes involved in youth sports.
STOP Sports Injuries Campaign - Focuses on. Overuse and trauma injuries in kids. Provides sports injury prevention tips and tools to athletes, coaches, healthcare providers, parents.
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Public Downloads - Español (Spanish)
When available, we provide all our content with a Spanish version in our public download section. You can find additional material from sources listed in all our articles.
Download Sports Safety 101 Information and Resources
About Outdoor Home Playground Safety Handbook About Public Playground Safety Handbook Concussion Guide for Parents Dehydration Tip Sheet Dehydration Tip Sheet - Spanish Handbook for Teaching Sports Essential Guide Kids and Wheeled Sports Safety Overuse Injury Prevention Tip Sheet Overuse Injury Prevention Tip Sheet - Spanish Playground Safety Checklist Playground Safety Kid Checker Form Playground Safety Report Card Pre-Participation Physical Examination Form Safe Sports Checklist Athletes Safe Sports Checklist for Parents Safe Sports Checklist for Parents - Spanish Sports Safety Activity and Coloring Book Sports Safety Changing the Culture of Concussion Infographics Sports Safety Infographic Sports Safety Tip Sheet Download First Aid Activities
AED First Aid Guide for Untrained Personnel First Aid for Burns_poster_burns First Aid Guide for Adult Resuscitation First Aid Guide for Burns-poster-burns-v3 First Aid Guide for Chemical Spills First Aid Guide for Computer User First Aid Guide for Constructions First Aid Guide for CPR & AED Defibrillatio First Aid Guide for Electrical Shock First Aid Guide for External Bleeding First Aid Guide for Eye Injury Wikijunior First Aid eBook on all Topics Workplace First Aid Visual Guide Download Adventure Activity Resources
A National Park Service Index 2012-2016 All Seasons Safety Activity Book An Overview of Nature eBook Book of Stuff To Do Do Not Feed Wildlife Poster Environmental Games and Activities Finding My Forest Tools to Re-connect with Nature Education Activity Guide Leave No Trace Activity Playbook Spend Time in Nature Parent Guide Download Bicycle 101 Activities and Resources
All-in-one Bicycle 101 Fun Learning Activity Book Bicycle Safety Activity Kit Bicycle Safety Bookmark Bicycle Safety Hand Signals Handout Sheet with Images Bicycle Safety Helmet Head Poster Bicycle Safety Rap Song Bike Smarts Manual 
Enjoy the Ride - Safe Kids Fun Bicycle Learning Safety Flash Cards Sarah's Bike Ride is Safe and Smart Sprocket Man Bicycle Safety in a Comic Book Download Bicycle 101 Activity Sheets
Walk To School Crossword Bonanza Download Bicycle 101 Ages 4-7 Activities
Answer Key ages 4-7 Bicycle 101 Activities Arrange Safety Steps ages 4-7 Bicycle 101 Activities Color the Signs ages 4-7 Bicycle 101 Activities Colors of Safety ages 4-7 Bicycle 101 Activities Complete the Safety Lesson ages 4-7 Bicycle 101 Activities Connect the Dots ages 4-7 Bicycle 101 Activities Decorate the Helmet ages 4-7 Bicycle 101 Activities Safety Basics ages 4-7 Bicycle 101 Activities Word Find ages 4-7 Bicycle 101 Activities Download Bicycle 101 Ages 8-11 Activities
Answer Key ages 8-11 Bicycle 101 Activities Closest Route ages 8-11 Bicycle 101 Activities Connect the Dots ages 8-11 Bicycle 101 Activities Crossword Puzzle ages 8-11 Bicycle 101 Activities Draw A Map ages 8-11 Bicycle 101 Activities Find the Safety Message ages 8-11 Bicycle 101 Activities Safety Draw Scene ages 8-11 Bicycle 101 Activities Word Find ages 8-11 Bicycle 101 Activities Word Scramble ages 8-11 Bicycle 101 Activities