WARNING  Keep your head up. Do not butt, ram, spear or strike an opponent with any part of this helmet or face guard. This is a violation of football rules and may cause you to suffer severe brain or neck injury, including paralysis or death and possible injury to your opponent. Contact in football may result in Concussion/Brain Injury which no helmet can prevent. Symptoms include: loss of consciousness or memory, dizziness, headache, nausea or confusion. If you have symptoms, immediately stop and report them to your coach, trainer, and parents. Do not return to a game or contact until all symptoms are gone and you receive medical clearance. Ignoring this warning may lead to another and more serious or fatal brain injury.

The State of Minnesota passed a Concussion Law that takes affect Sept. 1st, 2011. It contains the following three major provisions. 

1. All youth sport coaches and officials are required to receive online training (http://www.cdc.gov/concussion/HeadsUp/online_training.html) at least once every three years. SYFA recommends parent and youth participants take the course as well to better educate themselves about the symptoms and treatment of concussions and the danger of prematurely returning to play or practice.
2. Reduce the risk of further injury by requiring coaches or officials to immediately remove a youth athlete from play or practice when the youth exhibits signs, symptoms, or behaviors consistent with a concussion, or is suspected of sustaining a concussion.
3. When a coach or official removes a youth athlete from participating in a youth athletic activity because of a concussion, the youth athlete may not again participate in the activity until the youth athlete:
   • no longer exhibits signs, symptoms, or behaviors consistent with a concussion, and
   • is evaluated by a provider trained and experienced in evaluating and managing concussions and the provider gives the youth athlete WRITTEN permission to again participate in the activity

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has extensive information available on their website for parents, athletes, and coaches to learn more about head injuries. Please use the following link to access this information. We've also included some documents from their website here for your convenience.

Youth Sports
http://www.cdc.gov/concussion/HeadsUp/youth.html

High School
http://www.cdc.gov/concussion/headsup/high_school.html

Even in Minnesota, it can get hot enough in the Summer or Fall to cause serious illness or even death (remember Kory Stringer?). Don't take chances. Review the document below to learn more about Heat Cramps, Heat Exhausion, and Heat Stroke. It may save someone's life!

Proper nutrition for optimal football performance begins well before game days.  What you eat and drink immediately following practice and/or a workout will have the largest impact on how you perform the next day.

Below are some documents that will be helpful in making sure you practice and compete like a Saber!

Talking about and avoiding the dangers of drugs and alcohol can be a difficult, but important topic for pre-teens, teens, parents, and educators.  To help Shakopee be a great program with the best possible athletes, reliable teammates, dependable family members and citizens we must make sure we are working together to address these dangers.  The links below are a starting point for all of us to help prevent these problems that can ruin individuals, teams, families, communities, and lives.

Coaches/Teachers

www.theantidrug.com/drug_info/teachers-and-coaches.asp

Parents

www.talkingwithkids.org/first.html

http://parentingteens.about.com/cs/drugsofabuse/a/preteendruguse.htm

http://parentingteens.about.com/cs/drugsofabuse/a/driug_abuse20.htm

Athletes

www.teendrugabuse.us/teen_drug_use.html

http://espn.go.com/special/s/drugsandsports/steroids.html

Many teams are doing more to investigate players off the field character before drafting them.  Teams want players they know they can count on to be dependable and productive teammates.  The Vikings had several concerns about drafting the very talented wide receiver, Percy Harvin from Florida because he failed a drug test.  The failed drug test dropped Harvin’s value in the draft and cost him millions of dollars by not being a top ten pick.  Check out this article to see what other teams are saying about how important character is to their teams http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/football/bal-sp.character21apr21,0,4561387.story.