WASHINGTON, DC – On Thursday, May 29, President Obama will host a Healthy Kids & Safe Sports Concussion Summit at the White House, where he will be joined by young athletes, parents, coaches, academics and experts, athletes, military service members, and other stakeholders.
We know that many parents are focused on how best to protect their child from concussions, identify when their child has a concussion, and how best to respond when their child has a concussion. Last fall, the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council published a report that found that there are gaps in our research knowledge and that there is a startling lack of data on concussions, especially in youth sports. The report also found that there is still a “culture of resistance” among athletes related to the self-reporting of concussions and the adherence to treatment plans once they experience a concussion.
The President believes we can and must do better and the Administration is committed to helping ensure that children continue to be active and play sports safely. During this summit, the Administration will announce new commitments from both the public and private sectors to raise awareness among young athletes, parents, school administrators, clinicians, coaches, and youth sports programs about how to identify, treat, and prevent concussions, as well as to conduct additional research in the field of sports-related concussions that will help better address concussions among students.