New reasons to stay away from athletic activity right after a concussion. Head trauma during sports can have serious consequences, especially if the person experiences a concussion. More than ever, high school and college athletic trainers are more conservative with back to play rules for those who had head trauma from a concussion. Most recently, in the journal Pediatrics, a newly published study shows that those who left the game right after head trauma recovered twice as fast as those who didn't. While it is understood that children wish to continue playing, and the coaches would like that as well, the reality is that doing so results in more down time and can have long term consequences, sometimes years later as some NFL players have found out over the years. Read about the latest study on concussion here Playing With a Concussion Doubles Recovery Time By RACHEL RABKIN PEACHMANAUG. 29, 2016 High school athletes who kept playing in the minutes after a concussion took nearly twice as long to recover as those who left the game immediately after the head trauma, a new study shows. The finding, published in the journal Pediatrics, is believed to be the first to focus on one of the most difficult social challenges of treating concussions: a pervasive sports culture that encourages young athletes to keep playing through pain. Medical guidelines call for benching the athlete immediately after the head injury to prevent long-term complications and the potentially devastating consequences of a second hit. "œKids are often reluctant to acknowledge a concussion," said Dawon Dicks, a youth football coach with CoachUp in Andover, Mass. "œThe kid may want a scholarship and want to go to college, or it could be that "Dad or Coach wants me to play."™ That"™s when they"™re going to start to be a little dishonest in what they"™re truly feeling." Read more