The Ability of Youth Soccer Coaches to Recognize and Manage a Concussion

Soccer is the most popular team sport in the world with an estimated 240 million active players world-wide. Soccer is unique among sports due in that the athlete is allowed to use his or her unprotected head to contact and redirect the ball. As the popularity of the sport grows, the rate of injury, including concussions, has escalated as well. Along with the increased number of participants, there has been an increase in the need for coaches, who may have no understanding to the dangers of a concussion, but are often the first to respond in the event of an injury. The primary objective of this research was to gain an understanding of the ability of youth soccer coaches to recognize and manage concussions. An electronic survey was designed and administered to youth soccer coaches in Northern California with a total of 84 coaches responding. A Pearson r correlation was conducted to assess the relationship between coaches with years of experience and coaches who are licensed to recognize a concussion. An independent t-test was used to determine whether a difference in concussion management existed between a coach with CPR training and a coach without CPR training. The researcher concludes by discussing educational tools that an athletic trainer can utilize to educate youth soccer coaches, parents, and administrators on the dangers and proper management of a concussion