SAVING THE BRAIN

Thanks to numerous studies - and heart breaking stories from onetime pro athletes - we know that concussions can cause immense, even life - altering, damage. Now sports teams have started to protect athletes by penalizing risky behavior and more carefully examining players after high - impact collisions.

That's having a trickle - down effect in youth teams at least in the USA, where kids are being taught to tackle using their hips and shoulders, not heads.