Female Athletes Center

Ahead of the Game: The Parent's Guide To Youth Sports Concussion

Rosemarie Scolaro Moser's [4] new book, Ahead of the Game: The Parent's Guide to Youth Sports Concussion (University Press of New England) is just what it says it is: a practical, no-nonsense guide for parents about sport concussions.

Moser brings to the subject matter a unique background: As a clinician who has treated hundreds if not thousands of concussed student-athletes at the Sports Concussion Center of New Jersey [5], she brings real world experience to the subject, not just as a neuropsychologist with specialized expertise on baseline and post-concussion neurocognitive testing [6] but in the management and treatment of concussions, including the academic accommodations [7] that are often needed during the sometimes long road to recovery.

There are at least two major health issues that are unique to female athletes: the female athlete triad and the susceptibility to knee injuries (ACL/kneecap). Studies also suggest a variety of other differences in the rates and types of injuries girls and boys suffer playing sports (for instance, girls appear to be more prone to concussions, from which they take longer to recover).

Featured Articles

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Female Soccer Players At Risk for Stress Fractures, Long-Term Health Problems: Study [10]

Elite female soccer players are at risk for menstrual irregularities and stress fractures from the combination of intense training and insufficient nutrition, says a new study.

Read more » [10]
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Training Programs Reduce Female ACL Injury Risk, Improve Athletic Performance [11]

Two ACL injury prevention programs significantly reduce injury rates among female athletes while improving athletic performance, says a 2011 study. Experts hope the findings will lead to greater compliance with training and widespread adoption of intervention programs.

Read more » [11]
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Neuromuscular Training Program in Mid-Teens Most Effective In Reducing Female ACL Injury Risk, Study Finds [12]

Pre- or early adolescence appears to be the best time to start a neuromuscular training program in order to reduce the number of injuries female athletes suffer to their anterior cruciate ligaments, says a new study.

Read more » [12]
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ACL Injuries in High School Sports: Less A Function of Gender, Than Sport, Type of Exposure [13]

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries do not disproportionately affect female athletes, occur more often from player-to-player contact, and far more frequently in competition than practice than previously believed, finds a surprising and important new study.

Read more » [13]
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SmartTeams™ Talks: MSU's Covassin Discusses Gender Differences In Concussion Risk and Outcomes [14]

In a fact-filled and informative SmartTeams Talk™, a leading expert on gender and concussions reviews the research finding differences in concussion risk and outcomes between female and male athletes, and how MomsTEAM's SmartTeams™ program is designed to increase concussion reporting through education.

Read more » [14]