Los Angeles Times High School Insider
June 23, 2025
Concussions are one of the most common injuries in high school football, with an estimated 100,000 to 150,000 cases each year—yet nearly half go unreported, increasing the risk of long-term brain damage and life-threatening complications.
Concussions are a type of traumatic brain injury caused by a blow to the head or a blunt force that makes the brain move rapidly in the skull. According to the Journalist Resource, this sudden movement of the brain can disrupt normal brain function and can lead to dizziness, headaches, confusion, memory issues, and even loss of consciousness.
While most people recover from concussions, repeated injuries, especially in high-contact sports like football, can lead to long-term issues like chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE. It is important to rest and avoid physical activity if you see early signs of a concussion to prevent further damage.
Concussions are most common in sports like football, hockey, soccer, and rugby, as they happen when athletes experience a forceful impact directly to the head or to the body that causes the brain to move. Concussions are serious because they impair cognitive function, balance, and reaction time, which puts athletes at greater risk for further injuries to occur.
Concussions occur at a rate of about one in 1000 for high school football players. Defensive backs, wide receivers, and linebackers are the most concussion-prone due to their position requiring high-speed collisions.
It is estimated that 100,000 to 150,000 concussions occur in high school football each year – that means around ten percent of high school football players get concussions every year, although studies suggest that 50 percent of concussions go unreported. This makes concussions one of the most common injuries in high school football.
Early signs of a concussion can begin right after the injury or develop within hours. Common signs of a concussion are headaches, dizziness, confusion, nausea or vomiting, and fatigue. If any of these signs appear after a head injury, it is important to stop physical activity and seek medical attention.
Often, concussions are brushed off too quickly and can lead to Second impact syndrome (SIS). According to the Aguirre Law Firm, “The risk of wrongful death from a sports-related concussion significantly increases when the concussed athlete returns to play too early and experiences a second head injury before the first one has completely recovered.”
When the brain has not fully healed and then sustains another forceful impact, it can cause more brain swelling, a decrease in blood flow, and possible brain herniation. These can lead to death in young athletes, sometimes even within minutes of the incident.
Concussions are especially dangerous to high school athletes because their brains are still developing, which means they are more vulnerable and tend to recover more slowly than adults. As stated in the NIH article, long-term effects of repeated concussions in high school athletes include memory problems, emotional changes, like depression or anxiety, and CTE, which can show up even years later.
CTE is only found by studying the brain tissue after death. Many NFL players and athletes have authorized their brains to be studied in an autopsy to support research to find solutions.
Some ways to prevent concussions from happening are to teach proper tackling techniques, use protective gear properly, and educate players and coaches on the symptoms and early signs of concussions. The education of coaches, parents, and players is what can make the biggest difference in protecting brains.
According to Meridian, through research and the use of new technology, helmets are evolving with the addition of MIPS technology to add more protection. The NFL has spent $200 million on designing helmets and concussion research over the years to keep its players safe and ensure the long-lasting empire of American football.
Several innovations focus on improving the design of the football helmet to enhance player safety. VICIS developed the helmet model Zero2, which is designed to absorb and disperse the impact more effectively. Guardian caps are soft shells that go over the helmet during practices to reduce the severity of impacts. These, among other new technologies, are designed to reduce the risk of brain injuries in football.