Middle School Football Research Articles

Relationship between Aggressiveness, Self-Confidence, and Perceived Coach Support and Head Impact Exposure in Youth Football.

This study evaluated head impact exposure (HIE) metrics in relation to individual-level determinants of HIE. Youth (n = 13) and high school (n = 21) football players were instrumented with the Head Impact Telemetry (HIT) system during one season. Players completed the Trait-Robustness of Self-Confidence Inventory (TROSCI), Sports Climate Questionnaire (SCQ), and Competitive Aggressiveness and Anger Scale (CAAS), measuring self-confidence, perceived coach support, and competitive aggressiveness, respectively. Relationships between HIE metrics (number of impacts, median and 95th percentile accelerations, and risk-weighted exposure (RWE)) and survey scores were evaluated using linear regression analysis. For middle school athletes, TROSCI scores were significantly negatively associated with the number of competition impacts and the mean number of impacts per player per competition. SCQ scores were significantly positively associated with median linear acceleration during practice. CAAS scores were not significantly associated with biomechanical metrics at either level of play. Perceived coach support and self-confidence might influence HIE among middle school football players. Football athletes’ competitive aggressiveness may have less influence their HIE than other factors.

The Application of Physical Training in Junior Middle School Football Teaching

The Application of Physical Training in Junior Middle School Football Teaching

Head Impact Exposure Of A Youth Football Team Over Eight Consecutive Seasons

There is growing evidence for the potential risk of brain injury due to repetitive, subconcussive head impacts in youth football. Despite increased awareness and efforts to reduce head impact exposure (HIE) in this sport, an objective, longitudinal assessment of HIE in youth football is noticeably lacking. PURPOSE: To examine HIE in middle school football players over multiple seasons. METHODS: HIE was evaluated in 94 middle school football players (11-14 yr) who participated in a community youth tackle football program with the same coaching staff over eight consecutive seasons (2012-2019). HIE was assessed using the Head Impact Telemetry System, which utilizes a helmet-mounted array of six single-axis accelerometers to measure head impact frequency, severity (linear and rotational acceleration) and location. Mean head impacts per player per session (HIPS) and median head impact severity measures were compared across seasons. RESULTS: There were 33,519 head impacts registered throughout the eight-year study. Mean practice HIPS and overall HIPS decreased each season, resulting in a 79.4% (10.7 vs. 2.2 HIPS, P < 0.001) and 74.4% (12.5 vs. 3.2 HIPS, P < 0.001) decrease, respectively, from 2012-2019. Mean game HIPS were reduced by 60.6%, with a significant difference observed between 2012-14 and 2015-19 (17.7 ± 0.7 vs. 9.5 ± 2.1 HIPS, P < 0.01). Median linear and rotational acceleration remained relatively unchanged during the study. Head impacts greater than 80 g decreased every season from 103 in 2012 to 11 in 2019. Nine subjects experienced physician-diagnosed concussions during the study, resulting in a concussion rate of 1:3724 head impacts. CONCLUSIONS: Head impacts incurred by youth football players from a community football league decreased considerably over eight seasons, with players in the final year of the study sustaining approximately one-fourth the head impacts per session as players experienced during the first year. The greatest and most consistent decline occurred in practices, though players also had much fewer head impacts in games. While factors associated with observed reductions in head impact exposure were not investigated, these results suggest that coaching and/or player behavior can be modified to greatly reduce the head impact burden and brain injury risk of youth football players.

Head Impact Exposure of a Youth Football Team over Eight Consecutive Seasons.

This study examined HIE of middle school football players over multiple seasons. Head impact exposure was evaluated in 103 football players (11-14 yr) who participated in a community-based youth tackle football program, up to 2 yr, with the same coaching staff over eight consecutive seasons (2012-2019). Head impact exposure was assessed using the Head Impact Telemetry System. Median of individual mean head impacts per session (HIPS) and median of individual 50th and 95th percentile head impact magnitudes were compared across seasons. There were 33,519 head impacts measured throughout the study. Median HIPS for all sessions decreased every year, with a significant reduction from 2012 to 2019 (11.1 vs 2.3 HIPS; P < 0.05). Median game HIPS were significantly reduced in 2019 compared with 2012-14 (5.00 vs 16.30-17.75 HIPS; P < 0.05). Median practice HIPS were reduced by 81.3%, whereas median game HIPS were reduced by 69.3%. Median 50th and 95th percentile linear and rotational acceleration were lower in 2019 compared with some earlier years but remained unchanged during games. Head impacts incurred by youth football players decreased substantially over eight seasons, with players in the final year sustaining approximately one fifth the HIPS as players experienced during the first year. The most prominent decline occurred in practices, although players also had much fewer head impacts in games. These results suggest that coaches' and/or players' behavior can be modified to greatly reduce the head impact burden in youth football.

Exploring the role of parents’ sport orientations in the efficacy of concussion intervention materials

ABSTRACT Investigations into parents’ role as health referents in the management of sport-related concussion (SRC) are on the rise. This study contributes to these efforts by exploring the efficacy of concussion intervention materials to promote conversational intentions because of parents’ orientations toward football and SRC management. Data collected from 600 parents of middle and high school football players offered support for an indirect effect of family sport orientations on SRC conversation intentions after reading concussion intervention material via perceptions of argument strength and self-efficacy, sequentially (i.e., serial mediation). These results underscore the importance of recognizing the characteristics and belief systems of parents when involving them in SRC management efforts.

A - 02 The Epidemiology of Concussion in Middle School Football

Abstract Objective Middle school is often the first exposure to American football for many children. However, research examining concussion in football has primarily focused on high school and older athletes. Therefore, we investigated the incidence of concussion and subsequent sport time loss (TL) in MS football. Methods Athlete exposure (AE) and injury rates (IR) were gathered by onsite Certified Athletic Trainers within public middle school for all events across the 2015/16–2019/20 school years. AE was defined as one athlete participating in one practice or game. TL was defined as the number of days between the injury and return to sport dates. Concussion rates per 1000AE with corresponding confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. Injury rate ratios (IRR) with 95% CIs were compared IR between practices and games. CIs excluding 1.0 were considered significant. Results 75 concussions (IR = 1.38/1000AE, 95% CI = 1.06–1.69) occurred across 54,544 AEs. The concussion rate was significantly higher in games (n = 31, IR = 3.51, 95%CI = 2.27–4.75) than practices (n = 44, IR = 0.96, 95%CI = 0.68–1.25; IRR = 3.65, 95%CI = 2.30–5.77). The mean sport TL was 16.50 ± 8.25 days. Conclusions We observed middle school football concussion rates (practices and games) and associated TL from sport to be consistent with prior youth and high school football research. However, the concussion rate for middle school games was more than 3 times that of practices. This is similar to prior middle school football findings, but less than reported in high school football. Continued research evaluating modifiable risk factors for concussion in middle school football games and practices is needed.

Head acceleration event metrics in youth contact sports more dependent on sport than level of play.

The goal of the study was to evaluate how repetitive head traumas sustained by athletes in contact sports depend on sport and level of play. A total of 16 middle school football players, 107 high school football players, and 65 high school female soccer players participated. Players were separated into levels of play: middle school (MS), freshman (FR), junior varsity (JV), junior varsity-varsity (JV-V), and varsity (V). xPatch sensors were used to measure peak translational and angular accelerations (PTA and PAA, respectively) for each head acceleration event (HAE) during practice and game sessions. Data were analyzed using a custom MATLAB program to compare metrics that have been correlated with functional neurological changes: session metrics (median HAEs per contact session), season metrics (total HAEs, cumulative PTA/PAA), and regressions (cumulative PTA/PAA versus total HAEs, total HAEs versus median HAEs per contact session). Football players had greater session (p<.001) and season (p<.001) metrics than soccer players, but soccer players had a significantly greater player average PAA per HAE than football players (p<.001). Middle school football players had similar session and season metrics to high school level athletes. In conclusion, sport has a greater influence on HAE characteristics than level of play.

중학교 축구선수들의 다차원적 완벽주의가 운동몰입 및 탈진에 미치는 영향

중학교 축구선수들의 다차원적 완벽주의가 운동몰입 및 탈진에 미치는 영향

Measuring Safe Tackle Technique In American Youth Football: Preliminary Validation Of The Standard Assessment Of Tackle Technique Rubric

2.8 million Youth participate in full contact football. Young players could be exposed to more than 450 head impacts per season. One out of every thirty-three youth players may suffer a concussion each season. Tackling is a complex, reactive, psychomotor skill that carries potentially lifelong, catastrophic consequences if preformed incorrectly. Proper technique at an early age is essential. Our aim is to establish reliability for the Standard Assessment of Tackling Technique (SATT) a field-based, clinical assessment tool for measuring tackle proficiency. Fifteen, healthy middle school football players between age 10 and 14 were videotaped performing the Tackling Proficiency Assessment (TPA) over three separate sessions spaced seven days apart. Two raters independently scored videos using the SATT rubric. Cronbach’s alpha was 0.707. Intrarater reliability was moderate (ICC=0.57; 95% CI: 0.23-0.83) for rater 1 and good (ICC=0.79; 95% CI: 0.55-0.93) for rater 2. ICC values for sessions 1 and 2 were good, and moderate for session 3. SATT component 4-arm rip (ICC=0.40; 95% CI: 0.31-0.51) was the least reliable component while SATT component 5-leg drive (ICC=0.95; 95% CI: 0.92-0.97) was most reliable. Composite SATT scores had moderate to good intrarater reliability for both raters. Youth athletes should demonstrate their ability to perform a tackle safely, prior to participation in full contact play. Initial results show the SATT is a valid and reliable clinical assessment tool useful for evaluating basic tackle skill and identifying red flags like leading with the helmet or leaving their feet.

중·고등학교 축구선수의 권력거리 신념이 운동몰입과 운동지속의도에 미치는 영향

중·고등학교 축구선수의 권력거리 신념이 운동몰입과 운동지속의도에 미치는 영향

Pre- and Post-Season Electroencephalography Measures of Brain Vital Signs in Youth Football Players

Amid growing concern of potential brain trauma caused by repetitive head impacts (RHI) in youth football, there is an emerging need to develop objective, physiologic assessments of brain function that can identify sub-concussive impairment. Electroencephalography (EEG) may be a viable tool to evaluate neurologic dysfunction associated with RHI. PURPOSE: To evaluate the neurophysiologic activity of youth football players in association with RHI. METHODS: EEG data were captured from nine middle school football players (13.1 ± 0.5 yr) before (PRE) and after (POST) one season using a portable 8-channel EEG cap with three electrodes (Fz, Cz and Pz) while subjects listened to an auditory stimulus sequence (~5 min). Amplitudes (A) and latencies (L) of event-related potentials (ERP) corresponding to auditory sensation (N100A, N100L), basic attention (P300A, P300L), and cognitive processing (N400A, N400L) were converted to normalized brain vital signs scores (0-100 scale). Larger ERP amplitudes equate to higher scores and delayed latencies equate to lower scores. RHI were measured during the season via accelerometry (Head Impact Telemetry System). EEG data from three subjects were of insufficient quality for analysis; thus, results were limited to the six remaining subjects. RESULTS: Scores for N400L decreased significantly (P = 0.031) from PRE (63.9 ± 7.6) to POST (38.2 ± 16.8). There were no significant changes in N100A (P = 0.971), N100L (P = 0.308), P300A (P = 0.562), P300L (P = 0.183), or N400A (P = 0.685) scores. On average, players sustained 134 ± 66 head impacts during the season. Head impact frequency was not significantly associated with any brain vital signs score (P = 0.169-0.783). CONCLUSION: In this small sample of youth football players, cognitive processing was delayed following a single season as measured by the significant reduction in N400 latency scores. However, this change was not associated with RHI incurred by the players. While these data should be interpreted with caution, they provide preliminary evidence for the potential value of using the brain vital signs framework to evaluate brain function and sub-concussive impairment in collision-sport athletes. This work was supported by a grant from the T. Denny Sanford Pediatric Collaborative Research Fund between Mayo Clinic and Sanford Health.

The Epidemiology of Injuries in Middle School Football, 2015-2017: The Advancing Healthcare Initiatives for Underserved Students Project

Background: Although data exist on injuries in youth football leagues, there are limited recent data on injury incidence in middle school football. Updated injury incidence estimates can help drive the development of injury prevention strategies. Purpose: Describe the epidemiology of injuries in middle school football during school years 2015-2016 to 2017-2018. Study Design: Descriptive epidemiology study. Methods: Data originated from 9 public middle schools in Virginia during school years 2015-2016 to 2017-2018. Certified athletic trainers collected injury and athlete-exposure (AE) data from school-sanctioned games and practices in boys’, football. Injury counts and rates per 1000 AEs were calculated. Injury rate ratios with 95% CIs compared rates between games and practices. Results: Overall, 664 middle school boys’, football injuries were reported, leading to an overall injury rate of 20.54 per 1000 AEs (95% CI, 18.98-22.11). The time loss injury rate (inclusive of injuries with participation restriction time ≥24 hours) was 9.28 per 1000 AEs (95% CI, 8.23-10.33). The injury rate was higher in competition than practice (36.19 vs 17.97 per 1000 AEs; injury rate ratio, 2.01; 95% CI, 1.69-2.40). Most injuries were to the head/face (competition, 20.6%; practice, 15.8%) and hand/wrist (competition, 18.8%; practice, 16.4%) and were diagnosed as contusions (competition, 30.9%; practice, 25.9%) and sprains (competition, 19.4%; practice, 12.6%). Competitions also had a large proportion of concussions (10.3%). Overall, 80.0% and 66.9% of injuries were due to contact in competition and practice, respectively; of these contact-related injuries, 62.1% and 41.6% were specifically player contact. Conclusion: Injury distributions parallel those found in previous research from middle school and other sport settings. Injury rates in middle school football were higher than those reported in previous findings in high school and college. However, caution must be taken when interpreting findings in relation to other surveillance systems with varying methodologies. Still, the findings highlight the need for injury prevention strategies within middle school football, particularly as related to contact-related mechanisms.

“We Are a Football Family”: Making Sense of Parents’ Decisions to Allow Their Children to Play Tackle Football

Parents of middle school–aged children face a true dilemma as they consider whether to allow their children to play tackle football. The sport is cited as one that fosters a number of intangible benefits but is increasingly mentioned as dangerous for youth participants. This study employed a sensemaking theory framework to explore the family, community, and media dynamics that influence how parents made sense of their football decisions. We interviewed 12 married couples about their decisions allowing their child to play middle school football. Results indicate parents were affected by family identities, community and social influences, and information sources in their football decisions. We developed a typology describing three parental approaches to the football decision: the football-first family, the safety-first family, and the laissez-faire family. We drew connections between family type, decision agency, and risk assessment for the pro-football decision. To conclude, we offer theoretical and practical implications related to this key parental decision.

Head Impact Exposure of Youth Football Players During Their 7th and 8th Grade Seasons

Nearly 70% of US football players are younger than high school age, yet little is known about the potentially damaging effects of repetitive head impacts in this population. Cross-sectional studies indicate that head impact exposure increases with older levels of play, though little is known about changes in the same group of players from year to year. PURPOSE: To evaluate changes in head impact exposure among youth football players between their 7th and 8th grade seasons. METHODS: During a five-year span (2012-2016), head impact exposure of thirty middle school football players (12.6 ± 0.4 yr) was assessed during their 7th and 8th grade seasons while participating in a community tackle football program. Subjects played on the same team during their 7th and 8th grade seasons. Head impact frequency, severity (linear acceleration [LA]; rotational acceleration [RA]) and location during each practice and game were measured using the Head Impact Telemetry (HIT) system, consisting of a helmet-mounted accelerometry array. RESULTS: Mean head impacts per player were significantly higher in practices (7.4 vs. 5.8 impacts / player; P = 0.035) but not significantly different in games (10.1 vs. 12.4 impacts / player; P = 0.134) comparing the 7th to 8th grade seasons, respectively. Furthermore, from the 7th to 8th grade season, mean LA (25.30 g vs. 25.95 g; P = 0.345), median LA (20.77 g vs. 21.39 g; P = 0.225), mean RA (1741 rad • sec-2 vs. 1744 rad • sec-2; P = 0.950) and median RA (1481 rad • sec-2 vs. 1503 rad • sec-2; P = 0.538) did not differ significantly. Finally, no differences in distribution of head impacts by location (Front: 46% vs. 48%; P = 0.461; Top: 10% vs. 11%; P = 0.607; Back: 26% vs. 23%; P = 0.159; Right: 9% vs. 10%; P = 0.382; Left: 8% vs. 8%; P = 0.717) were found between the 7th and 8th grade seasons, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Individual head impact exposure was similar during two consecutive seasons of youth football, despite increased age and playing experience during the second season. Thus, extrinsic factors such as game rules, practice structure and coaching style may have a greater influence on head impact exposure from year to year in youth football, making those aspects of play key targets for strategies aimed at reducing repetitive head impacts in this population.

Functional movement screen and Y-Balance test scores across levels of American football players.

Few studies have investigated differences in functional movement assessment performance across scholastic levels of competition. This study examined Functional Movement Screen (FMS) performance in middle school (MS), high school (HS) and collegiate (COL) American football players and Y-Balance test (YBT) scores in MS and HS players. Functional movement measurements were collected for MS (N = 29; age = 12.8 ± 0.7 years), HS (N =52; age = 15.7 ± 1.2 years), and COL (N =77; age = 19.9 ± 1.4 years) football players prior to each group’s competitive season. Differences in composite FMS and YBT measurements were examined using Welch’s ANOVA and Mann-Whitney U-tests, respectively. Chi-square analyses examined normality of score distributions for individual FMS tests. The MS group displayed a lower composite FMS (12.9 ± 1.9) than both HS (14.0 ± 1.7) and COL (14.1 ± 2.1) groups (p = 0.019). COL players scored significantly lower on the Shoulder Mobility (SM) but higher on the Deep Squat (DS), In-line Lunge (ILL), Active Straight-Leg Raise (ASLR) and Push-Up (PU) than both HS and MS groups. No differences were found between MS and HS groups for any YBT normalized reach distances and side-to-side reach distance differences. FMS performance varied with football competition level whereas YBT performance did not. The results suggest that football competition levels normative data and injury-risk thresholds should be established when using FMS scores to guide performance and injury prevention programming.

Validation examination for introduction of team performance conception in football

Purpose The following study was conducted to suggest and verify the validity of the concept of team performance, which has previously been considered as the total sum of individual performances Method The concept of team performance was extracted by a conductive content analysis and an exploratory factor analysis of the data gathered from middle school football players. To verify the validity of the extracted concept, football experts' opinions were collected Results The idea of team performance, categorized by Footballship, Team Capability, Personal Capability, Communication among Members, has been taken differently from the total sum of individual performances. Footballship is the virtue that should be materialized, and simultaneously earned during the game. Team Capability is a available resource for team's performance, Personal Capability is a available resource for a player's performance, and Communication among Members is the intimacy of communication between coaches and players. The conglomeration of experts' opinions on the concept of team performance and its components shows that team performance is evidently different from the total sum of individual performances Conclusion The following study has been conducted to suggest and verify the validity of the concept of team performance. Team performance exists, standing distinct from the sum of individual performance, and understanding the concept of team performance will contribute not only to understanding performance, but also to improve the effectiveness of training and managing the team. Interest of the sport society is looked forward to.

Differences in Y Balance Test Performance between High School and Middle School Football Players

Differences in Y Balance Test Performance between High School and Middle School Football Players

Comparison of Head Impact Exposure Measures in Football from Two Different Accelerometry Devices

The Head Impact Telemetry System (HITS) has been used to measure real-time head impact exposure (HIE) in football for the past decade. More recently, several lighter and less expensive head impact sensors have entered the retail market, intended for individual player monitoring of HIE. The ability of these products to accurately measure HIE in the field is largely unknown PURPOSE: To compare measures of HIE in football obtained from the GForce Tracker (GFT), a retail head impact sensor, with those derived simultaneously from HITS. METHODS: Seventeen middle school football players (12-14 yr) wore helmets outfitted concurrently with HITS and GFT during twelve consecutive practices and one game in a season. HITS utilized a six single-axis accelerometer array, whereas GFT used one triaxial accelerometer to measure the frequency, linear acceleration and location of head impacts. RESULTS: Total impacts measured by HITS and GFT were 476 and 3264, respectively. Median head impacts per player were significantly correlated between HITS and GFT (r = 0.77; P < 0.001), but were significantly lower when measured by HITS (28 ± 17 vs. 192 ± 96 impacts/player, respectively)(P < 0.001). The 50th and 95th percentiles of linear acceleration were 21.1g and 55.1g for HITS and 17.8g and 50.5g for GFT. Mean linear acceleration measured by HITS (26.0 ± 14.5g) was significantly greater than that measured by GFT (22.6 ± 13.9g)(P < 0.001). Head impact frequency registered by HITS was highest to the front of the helmet (48%), followed by the back of the helmet (25%), the side of the helmet (15%) and the top of the helmet (11%); whereas GFT measured impacts occurred most frequently to the side of the helmet (33%), followed by the back of the helmet (28%), the front of the helmet (28%) and the top of the helmet (11%). CONCLUSION: This is the first study to compare HIE measured concomitantly with GFT and HITS in football. There were several notable discrepancies in head impact frequency, magnitude and location distribution measured by the two devices that would drastically affect the interpretation of individual player HIE. These findings highlight the need for additional research to determine the on-field validity and practical utility of all sensors used for real-time monitoring of head impacts in football.

Investigating Social Jet Lag in the 6th Grade, a 2015 PhUn Week Activity to Introduce Circadian Physiology in Middle School

Dr. Gumz and Ms. Solocinski visited Westwood Middle School in Gainesville, FL to introduce 6th graders to the concept of circadian physiology. They gave a 15 minute PowerPoint presentation to 14 different classes with more than 200 students to introduce physiology and circadian biology. A timeline was used to demonstrate that investigation of circadian rhythms has been taking place for centuries. The students learned that organisms ranging from bread mold to flies to humans rely on an internal circadian clock to adapt to their environment. Consequences of disrupted rhythms in mice, middle school students, medical doctors, and football players were discussed. The students were given parental consent forms and questionnaires to participate in an IRB‐approved study investigating whether social jet lag occurs in the 6th grade. Social jet lag occurs when an individual's internal body clock is out of sync with their daily schedule, and it often happens when a person follows a different sleep/wake schedule on free days versus rest days. Preliminary results indicated that 6th graders were significantly more tired on school days early in the week relative to rest days. Conversely, significant differences were not observed between school days later in the week relative to rest days. These results suggest that 6th graders gradually adjust to a school day schedule as the week progresses but they may experience social jet lag from following a different sleep/wake schedule on the weekend.

Head impact exposure in youth football: middle school ages 12-14 years.

The head impact exposure experienced by football players at the college and high school levels has been well documented; however, there are limited data regarding youth football despite its dramatically larger population. The objective of this study was to investigate head impact exposure in middle school football. Impacts were monitored using a commercially available accelerometer array installed inside the helmets of 17 players aged 12-14 years. A total of 4678 impacts were measured, with an average (±standard deviation) of 275 ± 190 impacts per player. The average of impact distributions for each player had a median impact of 22 ± 2 g and 954 ± 122 rad/s², and a 95th percentile impact of 54 ± 9 g and 2525 ± 450 rad/s². Similar to the head impact exposure experienced by high school and collegiate players, these data show that middle school football players experience a greater number of head impacts during games than practices. There were no significant differences between median and 95th percentile head acceleration magnitudes experienced during games and practices; however, a larger number of impacts greater than 80 g occurred during games than during practices. Impacts to the front and back of the helmet were most common. Overall, these data are similar to high school and college data that have been collected using similar methods. These data have applications toward youth football helmet design, the development of strategies designed to limit head impact exposure, and child-specific brain injury criteria.