For a concussion to occur an athlete must have intolerable force applied to his/her head, or the athlete must absorb sufficient impact to cause his/her head to shake so turbulently that the athlete’s brain vigorously clashes against the inside of his/her skull. This act of the brain bouncing against the rigid walls of the skull does not necessarily have to occur due to a direct blow to the head, it can be the result of the body absorbing an overwhelming amount of impact causing the head to shake. It is the rotational movements of the brain inside the skull that results in the onset of a concussion.
Well-developed, strong neck and trapezius muscles can help prevent the head from twisting too violently when an athlete is absorbing impact. If the head is not suffering such a violent whiplash affect, the brain experiences less rotation and therefore will not have as forceful an impact with the interior walls of the skull. In fact, contrary to popular public belief female athletes actually sustain concussions at a higher rate than males because females typically have smaller and weaker natural neck/trapezius muscles than males.
Various studies indicate that it is safe for athletes to begin training their neck muscles in middle school, approximately 12-13 years of age (relative to physical maturity of the athletes body) if done so in a safe manner, under the instruction of a proper supervisor and while performing manageable exercises. A variety of neck strengthing exercises can be found online, simple trapezius shrugs and gentle band resistance are very common and popular. Adequately strong neck muscles can prove vital to preventing your child from serious head/brain injury, so before sending little Johnny onto the ice or letting little Suzie run wild on the soccer pitch, do not forget to put a little extra emphasis on developing your child's neck strength. Safety first, fun at a close second.
-Tyler Tisdale