Middle Schoolers Have Created an App that Aims to Prevent Concussions

If only the NFL were so proactive.

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Head-injury activism has trickled down. Way down.

The Daily Dot reports that group of Florida middle schoolers have created a device that's intended to detect head impact and track concussion triggers. The system works through sensors placed in the helmet, which monitor high-impact collisions. Whenever a player absorbs a high-impact hit, the system alerts coaches and parents that the player is possibly experiencing a concussion. The invention won the Verizon Innovative App Challenge, which awarded the group a $20,000 grant and a chance to work with MIT researchers with the aim of turning their prototype into a product. The video below further explains how the system works:

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While the system could be used for any physical activity, it's clear that it was intended for and inspired by football. 

"We had three high school football players [around the country] who all died in one month from concussions or something related to concussions," one of the group's students told The Daily Dot. "I think that was something that really motivated us."

It's pretty incredible to hear a statement like that from a middle schooler. But then again, middle schoolers today probably perceive concussions much different than previous generations. They see NFL players retiring early, concerned parents, and a movie starring Will Smith that's about the dangers of head trauma and pro football corruption. But a decade ago, when I was in middle school, the kids I knew relished Miami-Florida State games because the hits were so big in those games that it seemed like players were constantly being carted off the field. Sean Taylor became my favorite defender to watch because he was so tenacious that he even put people's health at risk in the fucking Pro Bowl

No, this anecdotal group of Florida junior high students certainly doesn't represent the feelings of entire generation. But it's pretty difficult to imagine schoolkids creating a device like this five years ago. And when you think about the messages that today's kids are constantly hearing about concussions and football, it isn't hard to imagine that today's youth are more conscious of head injuries than any other generation in history.

[h/t: The Daily Dot

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