Head Impact Exposure in Youth Football

Abstract

The head impact exposure for athletes involved in football at the college and high school levels has been well documented; however, the head impact exposure of the youth population involved with football has yet to be investigated, despite its dramatically larger population. The objective of this study was to investigate the head impact exposure in youth football. Impacts were monitored using a custom 12 accelerometer array equipped inside the helmets of seven players aged 7–8 years old during each game and practice for an entire season. A total of 748 impacts were collected from the 7 participating players during the season, with an average of 107 impacts per player. Linear accelerations ranged from 10 to 100 g, and the rotational accelerations ranged from 52 to 7694 rad/s2. The majority of the high level impacts occurred during practices, with 29 of the 38 impacts above 40 g occurring in practices. Although less frequent, youth football can produce high head accelerations in the range of concussion causing impacts measured in adults. In order to minimize these most severe head impacts, youth football practices should be modified to eliminate high impact drills that do not replicate the game situations.

Head-Impact–Measurement Devices: A Systematic Review

“…In addition to the HITS device, researchers have implemented a 6DOF device 31,85 (n ¼ 2) or used the 6DOF with the standard HITS device 26,50,86 (n ¼ 3). The 6DOF device is part of the HITS and fits within Riddell Revolution (BRG Sports) helmets.…”

“…26 Recently, the STAR rating expanded to include ice hockey helmets. 114 In addition, the results of youth football studies 85 led the Pop Warner Little Scholars, Inc, youth football program to change to practice regulations that reduced head-impact exposure by 50%, 83 and high schools 115 and colleges 110 have begun to evaluate contact-practice regulations. Most notably, the Ivy League eliminated full-contact practices during the regular season starting in 2016.…”

Mind the gaps—advancing research into short-term and long-term neuropsychological outcomes of youth sports-related concussions

“…The necks and torsos of young athletes are weaker than those of older individuals and, consequently, less force is required to cause brain injury. The developing brain might also be particularly vulnerable to axonal damage caused by the shearing forces of head trauma, which, in youth American football, can exceed linear acceleration forces of 100 g. 9 However, the average forces sustained in youth sports will generally be smaller than at higher levels of sport.…”

Age at First Exposure to Football Is Associated with Altered Corpus Callosum White Matter Microstructure in Former Professional Football Players

“…[6][7][8][9][10] Neuroimaging and electrophysiological studies have identified structural and functional abnormalities in former contact sport athletes many years after they stopped playing. [11][12][13][14][15] Tackle football players ages 7-12 may experience hundreds of repetitive head impacts (RHI), concussive and/or subconcussive, over the course of one season, several of which may exceed forces of 80 g. 16,17 Our previous research suggests that incurring RHI during critical periods of neurodevelopment in childhood may lead to later-life mood, behavioral, and cognitive impairment. 18,19 However, the impact of RHI incurred during youth on later-life brain structure has not yet been systematically examined.…”