September 12, 2024
Reporter 1: New efforts to prevent head injuries in tackle football and it has been a big effort for years. There is now some expert advice for youth leagues to follow.
Reporter 2: And new tool being debuted in the NFL this season is being used for the first time in NFL games. Here is health and wellness reporter Lauren Petty.
Lauren Petty: New efforts are under way to prevent the kind of collisions in youth football that can lead to concussions.
Dr. Marc Hilgers: In our concussion center we see three to five concussion patients a day. They are not all sports related, but they are a lot.
Lauren Petty: The head of Advocate Healthcare Center supports guidance out from the CDC. Aimed at lowering head impacts. Including, expanding opportunities for non-contact football, like flag.
Dr. Marc Hilger: Now we want to see that flag football is a very good sport and a lot of fun, with reduced head injury risk.
Lauren Petty: Other recommendations include reducing the number of contact practices. Strictly enforce penalties for hitting another player in the head. And teach and reinforce tackling and blocking skills.
Dr. Marc Hilger: We see that especially in the younger athletes and the lower leagues that there is poor technique. That athletes are looking into the ground when they go into contact and those are high injury situations.
Lauren Petty: Some of these CDC recommendations are already protocol at the professional level. With the NFL also taking steps to reduce concussions and overall injuries.
Dr. Elizabeth Pieroth: People might be surprised to know that the NFL team throughout the whole season only has 14 days of contact practice. And some teams don’t even use all of that.
Lauren Petty: Rush doctor, Elizabeth Pieroth, is the co-director of the NFL’s Neuropsychology program. Another tool being used by the Bears and other teams is Guardian Caps. That extra padding that goes over a player’s helmet.
Dr. Elizabeth Pieroth: Basically, the idea is to absorb energy.
Lauren Petty: Previously allowed just at practice, this is the first season that the NFL is allowing Guardian Caps in games. There are youth versions available, but a warning for parents in youth programs.
Dr. Elizabeth Pieroth: The design is different for the NFL. They’re different, the players are different. I tell people if you have extra money in your football program, add an extra athletic trainer. Wait until the research supports the guardian cap and the younger kids.