In just a few short weeks, hundreds of thousands of young athletes across the country will be gearing up for summer practice. But while they prepare for the gridiron and learn to work together as a team for the upcoming football season, this year, they’ll be learning something new; a safer way to play that may mean fewer concussions.

The NFL and Pop Warner have just endorsed USA Football’s new Heads Up Football program, to train more than 20,000 Pop Warner coaches in new techniques focused on the safety of young athletes.

This is yet further proof that concussion is a major issue in youth sports, and its leaders are taking concussion seriously. The new program targets the way coaches teach young athletes how to play the game, including teaching players to keep their heads up and out of the line of contact. It will also mean more training and certification of coaches on issues like safety fundamentals. It also calls for appointing Player Safety Coaches for youth leagues to better enforce safety protocols, and more focus will be put on proper equipment fitting. Just as important, the program is launching an awareness campaign to help coaches, teachers, parents and young athletes become more aware of how to recognize concussions. They will also be given information from the Centers for Disease Control on how to treat concussions.

As a doctor who commonly diagnoses, treats and manages concussions, this is something to stand up and cheer about.

Pop Warner has always been a leader in youth sports, and that includes concussion awareness. The organization’s efforts have been extensive. But this new effort is groundbreaking.

What does it mean? It means young athletes will turn their training into habit. That’s what kids do under good coaching. They will be taught not to use their heads to butt and ram, but instead, to use the front of their shoulder pads as a point of contact. Instead of getting injured and getting back in the game, they’ll get out of the game. And as for the coaches, athletic directors and parents, they’ll watch the game with a new set of eyes and a whole lot of knowledge.

It’s a cultural shift – and a good one. It will not only result in better sportsmanship, it will drastically improve the safety, health, and even the lives of our young athletes. You can’t have a good game without that.