Area high school athletes are busy practicing for scrimmages, and their first games are just around the corner. We don’t believe it is news to anyone that a main concern with high school football, or any high school sport, is the chance of the player or team member getting a concussion.

With statistics showing the number of concussions increasing and exposing the negative side effects that come along with them, we wanted to remind everyone ways these medical injuries can be prevented when playing the sports our children love.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are several ways coaches, parents and athletes can prevent concussions from happening. Some of the most important steps are staying educated on the subject and following the sports’ rules.

Enforcing rules that are for fair play, safety and sportsmanship also can help athletes avoid unsafe actions.

However, we all know that accidents happen and sometimes people get hurt. It’s critical that everyone involved know what to do in case an injury happens, especially a head injury.

If one does occur, there should be a plan in place for everyone to follow.

There are many courses and websites that not only educate people about head injuries, but also provide statistics, prevention tips and recovery information. Anyone who needs more information on this subject should visit one of these sites, one being www.cdc.gov/headsup.

Sports are meant to be fun, and we wish all our athletes a safe and enjoyable year.

We look forward to hearing about everyone’s success on the field, in the gym and a variety of other places each week.