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.
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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.
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