...if they don’t induce symptoms of concussion. Two recent studies conducted on high school athletes in football and hockey, however, concluded this is “not true” and the accumulation of smaller hits to the head is the actual, serious concern. Brain scans were taken on the athletes before, during and after the season, to help assess any damage done. During the study one athlete (hockey) was diagnosed with a concussion while all showed changes in the white matter of the brain. In the second study (football) six athletes were diagnosed with concussions, and 17 others showed changes in their brain. It was estimated that each athlete in the study experienced 200-1900 blows to the head during the season, with each hit ranging from 20-300gs of force. It was suggested that in bulk small blows to the head are a more serious problem for the brain then concussions are. “This research is of special concern with younger athletes whose brains are still forming as well as life-long athletes in any high-impact sport. These athletes are at risk of incurring lifelong neurological effects and/or developing chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a progressive degenerative...
Words: 426 - Pages: 2
...Should the rules applied to concussion suffering athletes be modified due to the adverse effects of the severe injury? High thrills and big spills are two aspects of sports which attract billions of viewers worldwide, athletes competing bring so much joy and excitement to our lives yet we seem to underestimate how much these athletes really put on the line for our pleasure. •Concussion is most possibly the worst injury any athlete could suffer as it has major implications not only in the present but also later life • • (Nowinski, 2013) Humans have the choice this impact has on their wellbeing as in most incidents the athlete tries to force their way back into play despite suffering from concussion. •Sports such as AFL, Football, NRL and even...
Words: 1191 - Pages: 5
...popularity as a sport in high school brings communities together in support for the team they love. The game has always been a very physical game with large injury risk, but as the years go on the game continues to become more and more dangerous. Even with the helps of pads and the newest, safest helmets players still have an extremely high probability of sustaining a minor or serious injury. Some of these injuries can create long lasting health problems that can affect an athlete throughout the rest of their lives. Football is to dangerous of a sport for high school students, because it can cause serious injuries like concussions and also leaves many players with multiple long term health issues. Concussions are a very serious injury that many students experience while playing football. The total number of concussions throughout a season maintains a rapid increase, as it develops into a more frequent and dangerous injury. Over 9500 concussions occurred throughout the 2014 high school football season, and...
Words: 752 - Pages: 4
...Introduction Sports-related head injuries have received significantly more attention over the past few years; the effects of repeated concussions have been demonstrated in a number of high-profile athletes. With multimillion dollars and careers at stake, professional athletic associations have supported the implementation of preseason baseline testing and neuropsychological evaluation to assist in return-to-play decision making and to assess the cognitive sequelae of concussive head injuries. Such comprehensive programs are infiltrating college athletics and most recently have begun to manifest themselves in high school athletics. It is clear that mild head injury is a growing concern in the popular high school contact sports. Statement of Purpose...
Words: 586 - Pages: 3
...Terri Allen Professor Roddy English 1302 17 October 2016 Annotated Bibliography Apps, Jennifer N, and Kevin D. Walter. Pediatric and Adolescent Concussion: Diagnosis, Management, and Outcomes. New York, NY, Springer, http://0-link.springer.com.librus.hccs.edu/book/10.1007%2F978-0-387-89545-1. Jennifer Apps is a pediatric neuropsychologist and assistant director of research in the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavior Sciences at the Medical College of Wisconsin. According to her book, with an increase in sports affiliated concussions among children, it has become necessary for practitioners to understand how to go about handling age appropriate assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of the concussions. It is also critical...
Words: 1517 - Pages: 7
...discussion regarding traumatic brain injury (TBI) and concussions has been inflamed within the media. Prior to this time little research was conducted regarding various forms of TBI, concussions, and enduring consequences of experiencing a TBI. As a result of the many soldiers returning from the continuing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan with TBI diagnosis, much research has been directed toward this field. A sizeable contributor in the media recognition of the significant impact of TBI and concussions is the popularity of the National Football League (NFL) and college football. Players in various professional and college football leagues have long been experiencing TBI as a result of the contact nature of the...
Words: 1133 - Pages: 5
...basketball, and every other sport away from them too? You can get hurt in any sport including football, so why take it away from young kids? Many people have been asking if young kids should play football. I read two articles that helped back up my evidence and the first one is called,”Should Kids Play Football,” by Jennifer Shotz. My second helpful article was called, “Hoge Understands the Importance of Youth Football,” by Teresa Varley. Many people say that young kids should be able to play football because it can help with many different parts of their life, while others think that young kids don’t deserve the privilege of playing...
Words: 1304 - Pages: 6
...Concussions in Athletes Concussions in Athletes Introduction Athletes are faced with a number of health issues including injuries that could require surgery. It is also important to note that there are a number of athletes who have died while participating in sports. Sadly, most athletes do not report these problems in time albeit they are aware of the symptoms that accompany such sport-related health problems. Concussion is one such health problem that is affecting athletes, especially high school students. It has been reported that most of athletes tend to avoid reporting symptoms of concussion in order to avoid being sidelined from playing (Diagnosing and Treating Sports-Related Concussion, 2014). In the United States, it is estimated that up to 3.8 million athletes suffer from concussions linked to high impact sports (Diagnosing and Treating Sports-Related Concussion, 2014). There is, however, a feeling that the figure is under-estimated in the sense that most athletes as well as their coaches are not conversant with the symptoms of this particular health issue. Therefore, concussions in athletes are a serious health issue which should be addressed immediately. There is need to inform athletes and all stakeholders in the sport industry on the symptoms of concussions as well as their capability to be fatal in order to help athletes seek treatment to avoid repetitive concussions which would lead to deaths. The purpose of this paper is to inform the reader, especially...
Words: 2830 - Pages: 12
...Concussions in Athletes Patrick Austin DeVry University Concussions in Athletes Junior Seau, a favorite player of many professional football fans, committed suicide in 2012. Although Seau seemed to have everything going his way, he quietly suffered from depression, one of the many symptoms of repeated concussions Those close to Seau knew something was not right the man they all knew and loved. Some of them just chalked it up to him adjusting to life after football. Many players go through an adjustment period after stepping down from a glorious career in the limelight. However, this was not the case with Seau. He was suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy, CTE. What is unique about Seau’s suicide is he shot himself in the chest. The common belief is he did this to preserve his brain for scientist to study how it was affected by suffering many concussions during his 20 year football career. And, eight months after his death, the scientists who examined his brain announced they had found evidence of CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy), a dire neurological disease linked to concussions, which has been a factor in the deaths of many other NFL players (Penn, 2013). The fact that a player would kill himself because he was suffering from symptoms of repeated concussions speaks to the importance of properly diagnosing and treating head injuries. Other players have suffered from the symptoms of brain trauma. Some, like Dave Dureson, have even taken their own lives. These...
Words: 1674 - Pages: 7
...Concussion Awareness Among Athletes The packed stadium all holds their breath. Everyone except the player who is about to catch the ball sees what is going to happen. Then just like that it happens, the loud collision of two bodies slamming into each other, helmet to helmet. The player who just tried to catch the ball drops it on impact and now lays motionless on the field. He gets up with help and walks slowly off to his sideline. This athlete has just suffered what professionals in the medical field call a concussion. This article will be taking a deeper look into what happens to a players brain during a concussion, signs of a concussion, and what rising athletes can do to prevent these concussions. Concussions have been an ongoing controversy as of late in the world of sports and it comes with good reason. Though concussions are most prevalent in football, they are common across the entire sports spectrum. A concussion occurs when the head is hit directly or indirectly, causing a chemical disturbance within the brain that can have immediate consequences. An estimated 1.6 to 3.8 million concussions occur each year (CDC 2012). The numbers will always be very broad when it comes to concussions because so many athletes refuse to take themselves out of their games and a majority of the time they neglect to report any concussion symptoms to a trainer or coach. Lets take a look at some of the factors that contribute to athletes neglecting their concussions. A university study...
Words: 1253 - Pages: 6
...of work is to inform his readers about the current issues in sports. The intended audience is the sports nation and everybody involved. This source educates the entire world on the seriousness of concussions. From children playing pee-wee football to adults playing in the NFL, concussions cause brain damage. They can cause a player to be inactive for a month, year, or a lifetime. In some very serious circumstances concussions may cause death. Zirin, Dave. "High Price of Concussions." Progressive Oct. 2010: 42. Wilson OmniFile Full Text Mega Edition. Web. 28 Oct. 2012. <http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com/hww/results_single_ftPES.jhtml>. 2 NFL commissioner Rodger Goodell is taking serious steps to make his players more safe. Coaches are looking at what Goodell is doing and are following him by example. Goodell feels that if coaches and players see how serious the problem is, they will find more and more ways to protect the youth. "Heads up! NFL Commissioner Rodger Goodell talks about the importance of protecting student athletes from traumatic head injuries." State Legislatures 37.2 (2011): 21. Gale Student Resources in Context. Web. 28 Oct. 2012. <http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/suic/MagazinesDetailsPage>. 3 E:60 is a segment conducted by the ESPN network. This network covers every single sport and is a very credible source. The purpose was to inform its viewers on the seriousness of concussions. By introducing second impact to viewers, it encourages athletes...
Words: 2713 - Pages: 11
...Every year, roughly 1.6 to 3.8 million athletes in the United States alone suffer from a concussion (“13 Things You”). But, almost half of these concussions are not reported and therefore not treated (“13 Things You”). Of all sports contributing to the concussion total, football is by far the main contributor. “High school football accounts for 47% of all reported sports concussions, while 33% of these concussions occur during practice,” (“Head Case - Complete”). The main reason for this could be improper technique and teaching, neglect, and other factors. But for these players, high school is followed by college and possibly the National Football League (NFL), where concussions get much more attention and criticism. Concussions in the NFL...
Words: 1578 - Pages: 7
...FSU Winner Florida State’s Caitlin Quinn has been named the NSCA’s Assistant Strength Coach of the Year. http://www.seminoles.com/sports/w-softbl/spec-rel/112613aaa.html Critical Condition A California high school football player is in critical condition after suffering neck and spinal cord injuries during a game. http://www.pe.com/local-news/riverside-county/corona/corona-headlines-index/20131124-santiago-football-player-remains-in-critical-condition.ece State Total More than 4,400 middle and high school student-athletes in Massachusetts suffered head injuries last year, according to reports filed by the schools. http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2013/11/25/mass-schools-report-head-injuries-among-athletes-compliance-with-concussion-law-rises/njPFK6a92knIhcvY9UGxdN/story.html Refueling Product A new product can allegedly help athletes refuel during competition by providing precise carb and electrolyte recommendations based on a quick analysis of their sweat. http://www.prweb.com/releases/FuelstripMMA/UFCBellator/prweb11284260.htm Vegan Praise Several top athletes credit veganism with playing a key role in their success. http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/elite-athletes-reveal-the-vegan-diet-secret-behind-their-success/story-fneuzkvr-1226768537898 Baseline Challenges Three new studies of baseline testing highlight the difficult of accurately assessing an athlete’s true baseline ability. http://www.momsteam.com/studies-show-pitfalls-in-baseline-neurocognitive-testing ...
Words: 14366 - Pages: 58
...Concussions in football are a serious injury and fear for athletes. Although football players and coaches have knowledge of concussions, they are still undermining the importance of the risk of playing with one. Football is a collision sport and head to head contact is made on every play. When a player experiences a big hit, as long as they can walk, they will try to keep playing. That’s the mindset of football players and they’ll do anything to stay on the field. Football is one of the most competitive sports and players don’t want to let down their team by watching from the sidelines. I played football in High School and I would not leave the field unless I got dragged off or my coach subbed me in. Having trainers and referees watch out for players that look dizzy or show signs of a concussion could help solve this problem. In much of youth football, it is rare that a trainer or doctor attends practice or even games. This is a problem because children don’t know when and how they could be hurting themselves for the future if they have a concussion. They listen to their coaches and their coaches most likely aren’t medically trained. Coaches can also have a biased opinion because their job is to win games and they will play their best athletes as long as the athlete will play. I think that trainers or doctors, whoever is on the medical staff on the sideline, should have the ultimate decision on the health of a player and determine if he can play or not. They have the best, unbiased...
Words: 299 - Pages: 2
...tracks by Eagles safety Brian Dawkins. Bush was hit so hard that he literally had to crawl off the field and was diagnosed with a concussion from the violent thud of his head to the earth. In any athletic event that one may watch, the threat of serious injury or even death is a very real possibility. Obviously, the object of the game is not to murder the opponent, but to those such as Welsh boxer Johnny Owen, this tragedy has happened. To the spectator, witnessing a sprained ankle or broken hand is part of the game; life changing injuries or death are not. The crowd wants to be entertained and hard hits and knockdowns provide that thrill. Severe injuries should never be applauded, but they can be at times when the crowd becomes too rambunctious. Spectators fail to realize that these athletes are not robots or super-humans, but human beings. As a society, we must acknowledge where to draw the line in regards to advocating violence in sports, and possess the self-control and discipline to discern excitement and inappropriateness. In recent years, physical injury caused by contact sports has been shed in a light portraying such sports as potentially life-shortening or brain damaging. The NFL Players Association has filed lawsuits against the NFL for not properly addressing head injuries in the past or warning about brain issues the sport may cause. Even though these suits brought attention to the possible brain damage one may face, it falls way short of actually dealing...
Words: 1003 - Pages: 5
