Concussion talk is everywhere. Now more than ever, concussions are the topic for discussion everywhere it seems. From professional to pee wee and football to lacrosse...it seems you can't look listen or read anything realted to sports without concussions being a part of the conversation.
Concussions cannot be eliminated by helmets or any other piece of equipment for that matter. They can however reduce the risks and the severity in many cases. The reality is that if the head is accelerated or decelerated with enough velocity to cause a collision between the brain and the inside of the skull a concussion can occur.
As a youth football coach, reducing the risk of concussion is a critical responsibility. Proper teaching and evaluating technique is the most significant thing we can do to reduce the risk of a concussion.
Eyes Up! I must have said this a million times. Teaching the kids to keep their eyes up is probably the first thing that should always be taught and drilled daily. Eyes up also allows the player to see what they are hitting. Many coaches talk about "Seeing the Tackle" as well which is a great phrase.
Get Low! I hear coaches say this all the time. Make no mistake, getting low is important. However, getting low the right way is even more important. We have to make sure our kids are bending at the knees and getting their butt low as oppossed to bending at the waist and getting their head low.
Run Through! When we talk about runing through what we mean is stay on your feet. Leaving the feet or diving puts the athlete at even more risk. At contact it is key that the player continues to drive those legs and run throught the target. One wise coach I know says "Step on His Toes".
There's certainly more to discuss when it comes to making what is known as a "Good Collision" in football but I will leave it here for now.
"Head Up...Butt Down"
