A NEW study from the University of South Australia is tackling concussions at the grassroots level to determine how well parents and staff of junior community football players understand head injuries – and what more can be done to protect players.
In Australia, about 300,000 young people under the age of 16 play in community football clubs. One in five hospitalised concussions involve sport.
Lead researcher, Dr Hunter Bennett, said while community football clubs are aware of concussion risks, more needs to be done to protect young players at local levels.
“While professional football teams have dedicated medical experts to manage concussions, most community football clubs rely on parents or volunteers,” he said.
“Our concern is that many young players could be returning to the game too soon, without the rest and recovery they need.
“By assessing the knowledge, attitudes and confidence of club staff, parents and volunteers, we hope to identify any knowledge gaps that can help the club better recognise, manage and support concussion injuries in children.”
The study will also identify current concussion management practices, including adherence to return-to-play protocols and barriers to proper rehabilitation in junior (<16 years) community football.
The AFL and the Australian Sports Commission have established a minimum 21-day standdown following a concussion.
While community sports organisations have return-to-play guidelines, Dr Bennett says that they can be viewed as minimum requirements, and therefore may not always allow for a full recovery.
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