Heads Up: Concussion in Youth Sports

It's Better to Miss One Game Than the Whole Season


To help ensure the health and safety of young athletes, CDC developed the Heads Up: Concussion in Youth Sports initiative to offer information about concussions to coaches, parents, and athletes involved in youth sports. The Heads Up initiative provides important information on preventing, recognizing, and responding to a concussion.

The CDC, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control and its "Heads Up: Concussion in Youth Sports" tool kit materials have been produced with the input from many youth sports/youth-serving organizations to educate themselves and others about sports-related concussions.


In addition to downloadable radio PSAs, the CDC has produced the following:

  • a fact sheet for coaches,
  • a fact sheet for athletes,
  • a fact sheet for parents,
  • a clipboard with concussion facts for coaches and parents,
  • a poster with concussion facts for coaches and sports administrators,
  • and a quiz for coaches, athletes, and parents.


Clipboard Sticker Now Available as a Free Download!

Download Sticker [PDF]
A "Heads Up: Concussion in Youth Sports" Clipboard Sticker for youth sports coaches has been developed by the CDC in cooperation with the NCYS. With clear, easy to understand language, the signs and symptoms as well as an action plan helps to identify and explain how to respond to a potential concussion.

There are two ways to acquire your clipboard sticker(s) free-of-charge:
  1. Download the PDF Clipboard Sticker and print the page onto a full sheet Avery label and stick it onto your clipboard.
  2. Order pre-printed clipboard stickers in BULK from NCYS for FREE and pay only the postage. Email: youthsports@ncys.org to place your bulk order!

HEADS UP ONLINE TRAINING COURSE

Heads Up: Concussion in Youth Sports is a free, online course available to coaches, parents, and others helping to keep athletes safe from concussion. It features interviews with leading experts, dynamic graphics and interactive exercises, and compelling storytelling to help you recognize a concussion and know how to respond if you think that your athlete might have a concussion.

You can help make your league and school sports safer and healthier for all athletes. Learn when to make the call to pull an athlete off the field, ice, court, or track, and work with athletes, parents, and league and school officials to implement a concussion action plan and prevention strategies.

Click here to take the CDCs free online concussion training course

CDC Resources on Concussion in Sports Policies are Now Online!

CDC's Injury Center has released two resources about state and local policies on concussion in youth and high school sports (often called Return to Play laws). The first, a report titled Implementing Return to Play: Learning from the Experiences of Early Implementers, includes lessons learned from a case study of two states: Washington and Massachusetts. Both states were among the early implementers of state Return to Play laws. The second is the Concussion in Sports Policies web page and guide that has information on common components included in Return to Play laws and information on local policies and action plans. View the report and webpage at: www.cdc.gov/concussion/policies.html.


Call to Action!

"Heads Up" tool kit materials and additional information is available for coaches, athletes, and parents at www.cdc.gov/concussion/HeadsUp/youth.html"