Reducing concussion risks in youth football through community engagement.
Official title: COACH: COmmunities Aligned to reduce Concussion and Head impact exposure in youth football
Funded at Wake Forest University Health Sciences · NIH-11026909 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is all about making youth football safer by working with coaches and community members to create a program called COACH, which teaches safer practice drills and helps change how players think about contact, all to reduce concussions and protect young athletes' brains.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Wake Forest University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Winston-Salem, United States) |
| Project start | January 1, 2025 |
| Project end | November 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $659,287 |
| NIH project number | 1R01HD116966-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11026909 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are youth football players and their coaches, particularly those involved in community-run leagues.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who do not participate in youth football or are not involved in coaching youth football may not receive any benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on addressing the high incidence of concussions and head impacts in youth football, which can have lasting negative effects on brain health. It aims to engage community members and youth football coaches to co-design and implement an intervention program called COACH, which promotes safe practice drills and changes attitudes towards contact in practice. By evaluating the effectiveness of this program on a larger scale, the research seeks to identify factors that influence its successful implementation and sustainability.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could significantly reduce the risk of concussions and improve brain health among youth football players.
How similar studies have gone: Previous pilot tests of the COACH program have shown it to be acceptable and feasible, indicating potential for success on a larger scale.
Where this research is happening
-
Wake Forest University Health Sciences
Winston-Salem, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Urban, Jillian Elizabeth — Wake Forest University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Urban, Jillian Elizabeth
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.