Does Heads Up Football Make the Sport Safer for Kids? Football is a game that requires lots of strength and stamina and as everyone knows, the way it is played it is a full contact sport, that is exciting to watch but can be dangerous and can cause injury to the players. Other than the physical injuries that everyone can see, there are many catastrophic injuries that can lead to indirect problems and even fatalities. The reasons behind these injuries can be heat illness, heart issues or respiratory problem. Many times these injuries can be controlled or avoided by taking preventive measures during practice sessions. Other injuries that are not controllable are the physical injuries that can happen to any player on the field during practice or a game. The most common injuries that affect most players are the strain, sprain, fractures, dislocations, and concussions. There is a 7.4% chance that if a player gets injured he will suffer from a concussion, and if it is severe enough it can be a lifelong problem leading to temporary or permanent memory loss, skull fracture, internal bleeding or even a brain hemorrhage. Frequent concussions can expose players to in increased risk of traumatic brain diseases leading to mental health issues like depression, dementia and CTE. Concussion injuries generally occur from helmet-to-helmet contact or hard upper body contact between the players of opposite teams. There are many programs that aim to reduce the risk of concussion by lessening the frequency of helmet-tohelmet hits. Heads up Football is one of the programs created by USA Football aim at reducing the risk of concussion in the youth football. Heads Up Football includes tackling techniques in which players are trained to hit and follow through the tackling process with their chest or shoulders while keeping their head up and making eye contact with their target. Coaches provide players proper training based on the Heads Up Football program for safe tackling, blocking and running. The techniques taught with Heads Up Football include proper equipment fitting and better-tackling techniques to keep players from spearing their opponent with a dropped head. The main motive of this program is to establish certified coaches who will be able to perform five basic elements properly: Equipment Fitting Concussion Recognition & Response Heat and Hydration Heads Up Tackling Heads Up Blocking Heads Up Football’s cornerstone drills teach players to make contact with the ball carrier either with their chest or shoulders, keeping back the heads or out of direct contact. According to the 2014 study and survey from the Datalys Center, they revealed that youth football players in leagues that participated in USA Football's Heads Up Football program have a 76 percent
decrease in injuries compared to those who didn't participate in the program. Additional study data show Heads Up Football Programs show a 34% reduction in concussions during practice and a 29% reduction in games. When discussing the impact or risk of the head injuries during the game of football, it is safe to say that the Heads Up Football technique has made the sports safer for the kids. Custom Football Uniforms| Sublimated Football Uniforms