Concussion Prevention
Reducing risk through preparation, awareness, and safe participation
🪖 Concussion prevention is not only about what happens during games and practices. For competitive athletes, reducing risk also depends on training habits, recovery, decision making, and team culture.
General Prevention Strategies
Healthy Preparation and Training
- •Prioritize strength, balance, and neck stability as part of conditioning.
- •Get enough sleep and recovery time to support reaction time and awareness.
- •Stay hydrated and fuel properly to reduce fatigue-related mistakes and unsafe movements.
Safe Participation Choices
- •Speak up when something feels off after a hit or hard fall.
- •Do not return to play while dizzy, confused, or "not feeling right."
- •Treat symptoms as a health issue, not a measure of toughness.
Team and Competitive Environment
- •Support a culture where reporting symptoms is encouraged and respected.
- •Follow team and league safety rules, especially around contact and practice structure.
- •Make sure equipment is properly fitted and regularly checked for safety.
In Case of Possible Concussion
- •Remove the athlete from play when a concussion is suspected.
- •Get evaluated by a qualified healthcare professional.
- •Return to school and sport gradually and with guidance.
No athlete can prevent every concussion, but honest reporting, strong safety culture, and informed decision making significantly reduce risk and protect long-term health.
Sport-Specific Prevention
Soccer
Concussions in soccer often happen during aerial challenges, accidental head-to-head contact, collisions while jumping, or falls to the ground.
Ways to Reduce Risk in Soccer
- •Practice safe challenge techniques when contesting headers.
- •Avoid leading with elbows or jumping into opponents.
- •Strengthen neck and core muscles to support body control in the air.
- •Encourage players to stop and report symptoms after any impact.
Note: Headgear can help reduce some soft-tissue injuries, but it does not prevent concussions. Safe decisions and early reporting are still the most important factors.
Basketball
In basketball, concussions usually occur during rebounds, loose-ball scrambles, falls, and accidental contact with shoulders or elbows.
Ways to Reduce Risk in Basketball
- •Use body control when contesting rebounds or driving into the lane.
- •Call for the ball and communicate to avoid player collisions.
- •Maintain good shoe traction and a clean court to reduce falls.
- •Follow rules that discourage reckless contact or under-cutting.
- •Report symptoms instead of trying to play through them.
Volleyball
Concussions in volleyball are most often related to collisions between teammates, dives and falls, or contact with the court surface or equipment.
Ways to Reduce Risk in Volleyball
- •Use clear court communication such as "mine" and "yours" to prevent collisions.
- •Practice safe diving, rolling, and recovery techniques.
- •Stay aware of poles, padding, and boundary areas.
- •Pause play and report symptoms after a hard fall or ball-to-head impact.
Football
Football concussions may occur during tackling, blocking, and high-speed contact. Prevention focuses on safe technique, proper equipment fit, and practice structures that limit unnecessary contact.
Ways to Reduce Risk in Football
- •Emphasize heads-up tackling and blocking. Players should never initiate contact with the helmet.
- •Ensure helmets are properly fitted and maintained. Helmets cannot prevent all concussions.
- •Follow team and league limits on full-contact practice time.
- •Build neck and core stability to support safer positioning during contact.
- •Remove players from participation immediately if a concussion is suspected.
Baseball / Softball
Concussions in baseball and softball can happen from collisions, falls, or impact with a ball or bat. Situational awareness and safe communication are key.
Ways to Reduce Risk in Baseball and Softball
- •Call for fly balls clearly to prevent outfield collisions.
- •Use proper sliding technique and avoid blocking bases in unsafe ways.
- •Always wear required helmets during batting and base running.
- •Maintain awareness near dugouts, fences, and backstops.
- •Report symptoms immediately after any head or body impact.
Track and Field
Concussions in track and field are less common, but they can occur during falls, pole vault or hurdle accidents, throwing-event areas, or collisions during relays.
Ways to Reduce Risk in Track and Field
- •Follow safe spacing and traffic flow during warm-ups and workouts.
- •Use proper landing and safety equipment for jumps and vaults.
- •Encourage athletes to report dizziness, confusion, or head impact after a fall.