Sports Safety 101 Educational Activity Series and Resources

Pre-teens and teens benefit both physically and mentally from participating in sports. But it can be frustrating to be sidelined with an injury, especially if that injury could have been prevented. Outdoor play areas, equipment, and surfacing should be checked regularly.

Outdoor Safety and Quality Environments

Educational resources for athletes, parents and coaches. You are free to download our sports safety tips sheets, evaluate your playground using a simple checklist and more helpful tools in the handbooks on playtime safety.

HEADS UP to Youth Sports: Online Training

HEADS UP Concussion in Youth Sports is a free, online course available to coaches, parents, and others helping to keep athletes safe from concussion.

By taking this free, online course and using what you learn, you will be well positioned to improve the culture of concussion. Your actions can help create a safe environment for young athletes so that they can stay healthy, active, and thrive – both on and off the playing field.

Once you complete the training and quiz, you can print out a certificate, making it easy to show your league or school you are ready for the season.

What Will I Learn in This Training?

This course will help you:

Understand a concussion and the potential consequences of this injury,
Recognize concussion signs and symptoms and how to respond,
Learn about steps for returning to activity (play and school) after a concussion, and
Focus on prevention and preparedness to help keep an athlete safe season-to-season.

Playground Safety Checklist

Playgrounds are inherently safe spaces for children. They are a hub for child play, fun for families, enjoyment with friends, and places for communities to come together. However, these places are also locations where unintentional injuries occur and recent research has shown playgrounds are places where children are exposed to hazards.

Video: What Would Happen If You Replaced All Drinks with Water?

Top Safety Tips

Before playing organized sports, make sure your child receives a pre-participation physical exam, or PPE, performed by a doctor, or a nurse practitioner or qualified clinician under the supervision of a physician. Whomever performs the exam, the same practices should be followed including the need for a medical history.
Encourage children to drink water before, during and after athletic activities or play.
Warming up and stretching before play can release muscle tension and help prevent sports-related injuries, such as muscle tears or sprains.
An off-season is important. It is recommended that kids get 10 consecutive weeks of rest from any one sport every year.
Make sure your coach is trained in first aid and CPR, and understands how to prevent, recognize and/or respond to concussions and overuse injuries.

Sports and Recreation Safety Useful Links

American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine - Founded in 1972, AOSSM is an international organization of orthopedic surgeons and other allied health professionals dedicated to sports medicine.

CDC Coaches' Training On Concussion - Heads Up Concussion in Youth Sports. A Centers for Disease Control training video for coaches on recognizing, understanding and preventing concussions.

Consumer Product Safety Commission - Protects the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death associated with use of the thousands of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction

National Athletic Trainers' Association - Organizational goal is to enhance the quality of health care provided by certified athletic trainers and to advance the athletic training profession.

National Program for Playground Safety - Helps the public create safe and developmentally appropriate play environments for children by delivering training and services about outdoor play and safety.

Sports and Recreation Safety Information - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - The Heads Up: Concussion in Youth Sports initiative offers information about concussions to coaches, parents, and athletes involved in youth sports.

STOP Sports Injuries Campaign - Focuses on. Overuse and trauma injuries in kids. Provides sports injury prevention tips and tools to athletes, coaches, healthcare providers, parents.

Public Downloads

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Public Downloads - Español (Spanish)

When available, we provide all our content with a Spanish version in our public download section. You can find additional material from sources listed in all our articles.

Download Sports Safety 101 Information and Resources

About Outdoor Home Playground Safety Handbook

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