The Growling Concussion Risks Facing Young Athletes
January 27, 2026
“More than just a bump.”
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The scope of sports- and recreation-related concussions is larger than many families realize. The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center estimates that as many as three million concussions occur each year in the United States, underscoring how common these injuries have become across youth, amateur, and recreational sports. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has similarly warned that concussions are a significant public-health issue, noting that children and adolescents are particularly vulnerable because their brains are still developing, according to the CDC’s Heads Up initiative.
Young athletes and their parents should be especially attentive. UPMC reports that two in ten high school athletes who play contact sports will sustain a concussion in a given year, a statistic that highlights just how routine these injuries have become at the scholastic level. Football is often the first sport that comes to mind, and for good reason: UPMC estimates that football alone accounts for roughly 300,000 concussions annually. The National Federation of State High School Associations echoes this concern, noting that football consistently leads all high school sports in total reported concussions, according to NFHS participation and injury surveillance data.
But football is far from the only risk. Contact and collision sports such as soccer and lacrosse also expose athletes to significant concussion risk. In fact, UPMC points out that girls’ soccer ranks second among all high school sports for total concussions, a finding supported by research published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine, which has shown higher concussion rates in girls’ soccer compared with boys’ soccer. The CDC has likewise emphasized that concussions can occur without a direct blow to the head and that awareness, early reporting, and proper medical evaluation are critical to reducing long-term harm. The takeaway for families is clear: concussions are not confined to one sport, and vigilance matters across the entire youth-sports landscape.
