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There is a growing awareness of the potential long-term cognitive and physical impacts of concussions at every level of sports. A 2011 survey on behalf of Safe Kids USA found that 42 percent of parents worry to some degree about their children suffering a concussion while playing a team sport. Parents surveyed also indicated they and the coaches need to be trained in sports-injury prevention and sports safety. While there is still much to learn, parents also felt they are more knowledgeable than they were a decade ago and take more precautions to keep their kids safe.
Due to advances in medicine, greater knowledge of the seriousness of concussions and other head injuries, and a concerted effort by professional athletes to educate youth athletes, there is now much more awareness of the long-term health implications of getting just one concussion--let alone multiple concussions.
At the professional level, a number of well-publicized athletes have suffered the long-term consequences of multiple concussions. As a result, many of the athletes have had their careers cut short. These types of tragedies emphasize today’s need for better concussion care for athletes--especially the youngest competitors.