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REFORM Project Newsletter – October 2024

REFORM Project Newsletter – October 2024

Dear REFORM Team and Partners,

REFORM Project Newsletter – October 2024, On October 18, the REFORM project held its second Transnational Project Meeting (TPM) at the DFB Campus in Frankfurt. Organized by the German Football Federation and Saarland University, this meeting brought together partners to review ongoing work, align strategies, and discuss upcoming steps. We’re pleased to report that all partner agreements have been officially signed, marking a critical milestone in our collaborative efforts.

Progress on Key Deliverables

Stakeholder Workshop Insights with UEFA

As part of Deliverable D4.1, a focused workshop was conducted with UEFA stakeholders to gain insights into the challenges and barriers surrounding concussion awareness, prevention, and management within football. Key findings from the discussions include:

  • Need for a Tiered Educational Approach: Stakeholders highlighted the importance of implementing a two-level educational certification, “C.A.R.E. Concussion Certification,” designed to address the needs of both grassroots football personnel and club leadership. This approach ensures practical, on-the-ground training for coaches and referees, alongside strategic management training for club leaders.
  • Digital Learning Platforms: Participants recommended using flexible, mobile-friendly platforms, such as Thinkific or TalentLMS, for delivering concussion training, emphasizing the need for accessible, self-paced learning modules to reach a wide audience across different regions and languages.
  • Resource Constraints at Grassroots Level: Limited resources and the lack of standardized protocols across regions were identified as significant barriers. UEFA’s planned digital learning tools aim to address these by providing downloadable resources and templates to support consistent concussion management practices across clubs.

These insights will shape the development of REFORM’s concussion management educational materials, ensuring they are aligned with UEFA’s strategic goals and the practical needs of football clubs across Europe.

D1.2: Review of Good Practices on Concussion Prevention and Management

As part of WP2, Deliverable D1.2 focuses on reviewing global best practices in concussion prevention and management, with an emphasis on established frameworks from leading football associations worldwide. The report outlines 20 validated practices from regions such as Europe, North America, Australia, and Asia, identifying key components that contribute to safer playing environments.

Key Findings:

  • Systemic Approach: The review highlights the importance of comprehensive, organization-wide frameworks in concussion management. Effective protocols integrate mandatory concussion removal policies, standardized medical evaluations, and staged return-to-play processes. These elements work synergistically to support safer environments across all football levels .
  • Education and Awareness: Nearly all protocols reviewed include educational initiatives aimed at raising concussion awareness among coaches, players, and parents. REFORM’s educational resources, including MOOCs and toolkits, will incorporate these aspects to enhance concussion literacy across European football clubs.
  • Long-Term Player Welfare: Several protocols prioritize long-term care by incorporating continuous monitoring of cognitive and physical recovery, an essential focus area for REFORM. This aligns with the project’s goal to promote sustainable management practices that protect player health over time.

Recommendations for REFORM:

  1. Integration of Common Practices: REFORM’s Practical Intervention Methodology (PIM) should incorporate protocols such as immediate player removal, mandatory medical evaluations, and staged return-to-play. These steps will ensure that football clubs adopt a consistent and effective approach to concussion management.
  2. Standardization Across Borders: By establishing a unified European concussion framework, REFORM can address current variability in protocols, supporting consistency in how concussions are managed across regions and enhancing cross-border player safety.
  3. Inclusion of Gender-Specific Protocols: Evidence suggests that female players may experience different concussion symptoms and recovery times. REFORM can expand traditional protocols by developing gender-sensitive guidelines, ensuring that concussion education and management are inclusive.

This review provides a solid foundation for REFORM’s Practical Intervention Methodology, equipping European football clubs with evidence-based strategies to prevent, manage, and support concussion recovery at all levels of play.

D1.1: Concussions in Youth Football – Exploring Prevalence, Management Strategies, and Prevention

This report provides a comprehensive review of over 150 publications on concussion prevalence, management, and prevention in youth football, guiding REFORM’s framework for developing concussion awareness and prevention strategies tailored to young athletes.

Key Insights:

  • Prevalence and Risk Factors: The review identifies key risk factors for concussions in youth football, such as player position, age, and gender. Evidence indicates higher concussion rates during competitive matches than in training, with certain positions (like defenders) and older youth players facing increased risks .
  • Gender Differences: Female youth players are at a higher risk of concussions, experiencing different symptoms and potentially longer recovery periods compared to male players. This difference highlights the need for gender-sensitive concussion management and prevention protocols .
  • Pathophysiology and Long-Term Implications: Concussions in youth can have unique long-term effects due to the developing brain’s vulnerability. Repeated injuries, particularly in younger athletes, pose risks for lasting cognitive and neurological challenges, underscoring the importance of cautious return-to-play protocols .
  • Management and Immediate Response: Effective concussion management includes prompt removal from play, thorough on-field assessments, and gradual reintegration. The SCAT6 tool is highlighted as a gold standard, providing structured evaluation protocols critical to accurate on-field concussion assessments .

Recommendations for REFORM:

  • Educational Programs: Develop targeted resources addressing gender-specific risks, age-related vulnerabilities, and position-specific risks, ensuring that coaches and parents recognize and respond appropriately to concussions.
  • Standardized Protocols: Establish consistent concussion protocols, incorporating SCAT6 for field assessments, with mandatory follow-up care for young players to minimize long-term impacts.
  • Prevention Strategies: Encourage changes in training and gameplay that reduce high-risk activities, such as heading drills for younger athletes, and introduce protective policies, particularly for vulnerable groups within youth football.

This report will inform REFORM’s development of evidence-based educational materials and standardized management practices to support safer play across youth football in Europe.

Country-Specific Surveys to Inform Educational Needs

REFORM Project, Surveys have been distributed across all four project countries to gather insights on the current state of concussion awareness, knowledge, and educational needs among grassroots coaches. These surveys are designed to help tailor REFORM’s educational resources to better address specific needs across different regions.

  • Germany’s Survey: The survey in Germany has already been completed, with data now undergoing analysis. Initial findings suggest high general awareness of concussion symptoms but significant gaps in the practical application of concussion protocols. For example, while most coaches understand basic concussion symptoms, only a small percentage are familiar with return-to-play guidelines or tools like the Concussion Recognition Tool (CRT6). This gap highlights an area for targeted education.
  • Manuscript and Abstract Development: Following the initial survey analysis, a manuscript draft from the German data is in progress, accompanied by an abstract prepared for upcoming conferences. This work will consolidate findings and offer an early assessment of the impact of current concussion education practices at the grassroots level.
  • Survey Distribution Status: Surveys in the remaining countries are expected to be distributed or completed in the coming days, with focus groups planned to conclude by year-end to allow timely data analysis.

This survey initiative will provide valuable, region-specific insights that inform REFORM’s approach to concussion management training, aiming to deliver resources that resonate with grassroots coaches and address the most urgent educational gaps.

Research Protocol Development

A first draft of the project study protocol, titled “Harmonization and Implementation of Concussion Guidelines in European Football for Youth,” has been completed. This protocol outlines the REFORM project’s approach to harmonizing concussion guidelines across Europe, focusing on youth football. Key elements include:

  • Educational Resource Development: The project will create educational materials such as toolkits, a MOOC, and awareness campaigns targeting coaches, youth players, parents, referees, and healthcare professionals. These resources aim to improve recognition, prevention, and management of concussions at all levels of youth football .
  • Phased Implementation and Validation: Educational resources will be piloted in clubs across Norway, Germany, Croatia, and Turkey. Insights from these pilots will guide full-scale implementation across Europe, with a focus on consistency and accessibility.
  • Outcome Measures: Primary outcomes include increased concussion awareness and improved management protocols within clubs. Secondary outcomes will evaluate user engagement, stakeholder satisfaction, and scalability across additional European football clubs.

This draft is set for submission, aiming to provide a comprehensive framework for evaluating and enhancing concussion management practices across European football.

Next Steps 

REFORM Project, Preparations for focus groups are well underway across all four project countries, with protocols having been reviewed and approved by the respective ethical review boards. These focus groups are scheduled to conclude by year-end, allowing sufficient time for data analysis and integration into our study protocol. By gathering in-depth feedback on region-specific barriers and challenges in concussion management, these sessions will provide essential insights to refine REFORM’s educational resources and ensure they address the most critical needs.

In the coming months, we will continue data collection, conduct the focus groups, and prepare for further dissemination activities. These efforts are key to shaping effective, evidence-based tools that resonate with grassroots coaches and stakeholders across diverse contexts.

Thank you to all partners for your dedication as we move forward in our mission to promote safer play and improved concussion management in youth football across Europe.

Best regards,

REFORM Project Team