Young Brains at Play: Advances in Pediatric Sports Concussion

Sports-related concussions represent one of the most common injuries in children and adolescents participating in organized athletics. Each year, thousands of pediatric athletes worldwide experience concussive events, with the actual incidence likely underestimated due to underreporting and variances in awareness and diagnostic practices. Pediatric athletes are not simply “small adults”; their developing brains, unique biomechanics, and evolving cognitive and emotional profiles demand specialized approaches that consider both immediate safety and lifelong neurological health. This collection serves as a platform for multidisciplinary voices to address the complex medical, scientific, and societal challenges surrounding pediatric sports concussion.

This is a dedicated collection aimed at bringing together the latest research, clinical insights, and practical innovations in the prevention, diagnosis, management, and long-term follow-up of sports-related concussions in children and adolescents. By uniting clinical expertise with real-world experience, we aim to advance evidence-based practices that protect young athletes while preserving the physical, social, and developmental benefits of sport.

The scope encompasses a broad range of topics, from cutting-edge neuroscience and biomechanics to community-based education, policy development, and sport-specific guidelines. Given the global nature of youth sports, we welcome contributions from diverse cultural and geographic contexts, including perspectives from community leagues, elite training programs, and school-based athletics. Research spanning acute management through long-term outcomes, as well as translational studies bridging laboratory findings with on-field application, is especially valuable. We also seek implementation science, quality improvement initiatives, and multidisciplinary care models that can be scaled across different healthcare and educational systems. This collection welcomes all article types accepted by the journal (including original research, systematic reviews, clinical guidelines, and educational resources), pertaining but not limited to the following themes:
• Epidemiology and risk factors in pediatric sports concussions
• Advances in sideline assessment tools
• Neuroimaging and biomarker research
• Age-appropriate return-to-learn and return-to-play protocols
• The intersection of concussion with child development and mental health, academic performance, and participation equity in organized sports
• Prevention strategies such as rule changes, equipment innovations, and targeted training programs

Ultimately, Young Brains at Play is more than an academic resource, it is a call to action. Concussion care in pediatric sports requires the integration of rigorous science, compassionate clinical care, and proactive prevention. Through this collection, we hope to inspire innovation, disseminate knowledge, and foster a shared commitment to ensuring that every child can participate in play safely, supported by the best that science and medicine have to offer.

Topic Editor Sean Rose served as an expert legal witness for Summit Experts in 2025 and received compensation for this role. Additionally, his institution received research funding from the Dale Jr Foundation that was applied to his research on concussion. The other Topic Editors reported no potential conflicts of interest.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Clinical Trial
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Clinical Trial
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Study Protocol
• Systematic Review

Keywords: pediatric concussion, sports concussion, traumatic brain injury (TBI), young athletes, concussion management, neurocognitive outcomes

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.