i1 Biometrics, a leading sports concussion management company that markets the Vector MouthGuard with ESP Chip Technology and Shockbox, announced today the results of a survey that found that the majority of high school athletes and their parents now take safety into serious consideration when making their decision before National Signing Day.
According to the survey, presented to more than 1,000 student athletes and consumers during late summer, 2015, 93 percent of recruits find it very important for a school’s athletic program to have elevated training or concussion technology available to them while playing a collegiate level sport. In addition to keeping safety measures in mind, 69 percent of prospective college athletes now bring up safety and training technology to the school’s athletic director while on official recruiting visits.
Parents are concerned about their children’s safety, too. Nearly a third of parents polled (30%) said they are unsure if they should allow their child to play school sports because of the risk of concussion.
Approximately 3.8 million concussions occur due to sports injuries annually, according to the American Medical Society for Sport Medicine. While awareness for the mild traumatic brain injury has increased, 57 percent of people believe that the epidemic is not improving and may be worsening.
74 percent of student athletes agree that utilizing concussion detection software will enable the coaching staff to better train their team at all levels on safety techniques and yet not all college and university teams are using this technology.
“With all of the media coverage surrounding the concussion epidemic that has struck the world of athletics, the best and brightest student athletes are well aware of what is at risk when they step out on the field,” said Jesse Harper, CEO of i1 Biometrics. “If schools want to recruit prospects at any level, they will have to realize that safety is now a top priority.”