The right training to prevent a concussion

(WTNH) - According to statistics from the Connecticut Concussion Task Force, 20 percent of all football players get a concussion per season.

It just makes sense that the more you hit your head, the greater the chance of getting a head injury. If you're going to play football using the right technique is crucial. A guy who's been around football a long time -- Yale coach, Tom Williams -- gave News 8 a demonstration.

Coach Williams: "In talking about preventing concussions, there are several things that I think are important. The first is, making sure that the helmet fits snuggly on the head. When you move the face mask, the head should move as well. The mouth piece is a critical component to concussion prevention, making sure that the kids wear their mouthpiece because that has to do with the brain and the movement when there is contact. And then the third thing, is all the new helmets are equipped with bladders inside the helmet that you pump air into. The air is supposed to protect the head. Okay, so the combination of the air in the helmet, the snug fit, and the mouthpiece are all three components that can prevent concussion.

"In terms of tackling, it's important to remember, that you have got to be able to see what you hit, okay?! In order to be able to see it, that means you have got to have your eyes up and head up. We talk about bowing our neck when you make contact, so, if Max right here is a tackler for us, he's got to be able to see his contact. He has got to be able to put his eyes on the body of the person that he is tackling. That prevents him from dropping his head and exposing the crown of his helmet, which can cause a concussion injury. Okay?

"Take a look at the tackling form here. Max is going to take two steps, set, go, shimmy, face, put his hands on him, go! That is it, that's the finish part of the tackle. Okay? So when we talk about an approach to tackling, meaning, I want to close the distance between myself and the ball carrier. At the same time my head and eyes are up, so that when I make contact, I have got to be able to see my tackle. 'See my tackle' is a phrase that we use here very often.

"It's critical that you have your eyes open, your head up and your neck bowed. As you get older and you start to develop strength and conditioning, one of the areas that you have to make sure that you develop, is your neck trap area. That is just as much for injury prevention as it is for anything, okay? When you guys are tackling, they have got to make sure they are protected with their strength and their physical conditioning and then obviously the important portion is having your head and eyes up on contact."