White House Conference on Concussions

This past summer, President Obama hosted the first-ever summit on concussions at the White House.  The purpose of the conference was to increase awareness and education about the serious nature of concussions in youth, and more importantly, to kick start a culture shift in America when it comes to youths and sports.

Concussions in Youth Sports

According to an article in the Washington Post, Obama told the audience, “We want our kids participating in sports.  I’d be much more troubled if young people were shying away from sports.  As parents, though, we want to keep them safe, and that means we have to have better information.” Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is not something to be taken lightly.  The Abrams Landau law firm has been helping victims of TBI caused by bike, truck and auto accidents, workplace incidents, slip and fall accidents, etc. for many years.  TBI can change a person’s life irreparably.  That is why Doug Landau and his staff participate in bike safety education, distribute free bike helmets to local school children, support the efforts of Northern Virginia’s Brain Injury Services (BIS), and more.

Landau notes, “All four of my children participated in youth sports — soccer, wrestling, lacrosse, track, cross country, and pole vaulting — so sports injuries are certainly not uncommon in the Landau family.  I even coached my kids’ teams when they were young, and drawing on my training as a coach and my background in medicine, I sometimes knew it was time to pull a player or sub out a star who had taken a blow to the head.  The key is prudence, balance, and long view when it comes to children’s sports.  After all, the reason they “play” to begin with is because it’s fun!  And TBI is no fun!”