Big Hits Broken Dreams Analysis

Based on my research, there are considerable lifelong health related consequences associated with participating in grueling sport activities such as professional football. What responsibilities should the National Football League (NFL) have in regards to providing an adequate support system to players suffering from a concussion during a practice or regular season game and from lifelong challenges as a result of traumatic head injuries sustained during the regular season or practices? The resources I have referenced in this proposal essay, provide evidence to answer this question and lends support to my position that considering the violent nature of professional football, the NFL needs to take more efforts to protect players during the games and afterwards if a serious injury has been sustained that affects their quality of life and future earnings. Current policies are inadequate and continue to contribute to lawsuits and cost lives.

Surveys were conducted among athletic trainers to see their institution’s policies. Approximately forty seven percent of trainers stated that their institution had a scripted policy regarding concussion management. Forty percent admitted that they did not have any policy regarding concussions. Fewer than one-third of respondents reported academic policies at their clinic. Institutions with more trainers are more likely to implement academic accommodations for injured athletes. The NCAA provides policies regarding concussions and its athletes. It is required that an athletic trainer inform the athletic teams of concussions and how to prevent them. The trainer will also provide them with the signs and symptoms to help identify a

There’s no doubt that concussions in football has become a major problem, not just for the professional athletes, but for kids of all ages from age 8 to 19. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has shown that concussion have doubled in the last decade and The American Academy of Pediatrics says that, “emergency room visits for concussions in children ages 8 to 13 years old has doubled, and concussions have risen 200 percent among teens ages 14 to 19 in the last decade” (Keith Dunlap, The Oakland Press). This shows that the seriousness of concussions is not just an issue at a pro level but an issue throughout all levels of play. The risk is definitely present when you play football but it shouldn’t stop parents from letting their children participate in the sport. Playing organized sports such as football isn’t just a place to get injured, it’s a place where your children can learn the importance of teamwork, sportsmanship, toughness, competitiveness, they learn succeed, and also they learn about failure. The parents who don’t allow their children to play sports don’t let their kids learn about these important lessons of organized sports. Football is also a way for kids to take their anger and struggles out in the game and help them express themselves. It can also be a way for kids in bad situations to get a way out, to try and reach the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

In the world of football, big hits are something that are looked at in a positive light. They are seen as a way of asserting dominance over other players and it is celebrated by teammates. Big hits are a very crucial, almost necessary, part of the game that millions of people gather to watch every Sunday. However, in the past decade, the NFL and other organization have realized that concussions can lead to very serious problems later in life. One of these problems is known as Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). It is a degenerative brain disease, much like Alzheimer’s, that mainly effects individuals in high contact sports such as boxing or football. Over time, this connection between concussions and CTE has become more common knowledge and more people have started asking the question “do the risks of children playing football outweigh the benefits?”. The answer to this question is yes, football is entirely too violent for children to be playing. According to “Big Hits, Broken Dreams”, one in ten football players gets a concussion, and 35% of players have more than one. The video also states that only 50% of high schools in the United States have a certified athletic trainer on the field (CNN, 2012). If concussions are really a concern for the schools, then why are there not more athletic trainers on staff at these schools to deal with sports injuries? This also forces the public to question these schools even more because if they are willing to cut costs and not hire a

Thesis: Youth and High School football teams are not adequately protected from the danger of concussions and head trauma.

Concussions have become a major controversy in the United States. Because of uninformed students and negligent coaches, many student athletes are experiencing the severe complications that accompany the injury. High school athletes seem to be the most affected and for this reason are more vulnerable than other students to experience concussions. Not properly managing concussions in time could have significant and problematic injuries that could potentially effect the victims overall ability to live a healthy life. For this reason, athletes should have to stay out of any physical activity for the necessary time to allow their brain to properly heal.

In recent years, there has been a backlash from all kinds of doctors throughout the world that believe the National Football League or NFL needs to make adjustments to the way they treat head injuries, specifically concussions. A concussion is a brain injury characterized by an onset of impairment of cognitive and/or physically functioning and is caused by hits around the head and neck area. This NFL is under destress because of numerous studies that show concussions can lead to a large amount brain injuries way after the player has played his last game. However, this isn't just a problem the NFL is facing, the real problem is our youth contact sports and head-related injuries. High school athletes are extremely more exposed to concussions than

On fall Friday nights everywhere, high schools are buzzing for one thing: football. The players have practiced all week and are excited to get on the field. Students, parents, and fans alike are all counting down the minutes until kickoff. However, in one play all that excitement can be taken away. One helmet-to-helmet hit is sometimes all it takes for a player to sustain a concussion. Concussions happen frequently in football. Many people do not realize the risks associated with this type of injury. High school coaches need to be better trained on how to recognize potential concussions, athletes need to be better educated on concussions, and stricter concussion

In the article “Concussions Knowledge in High School Football Players” from the Journal of Athletic training on October 2014, writers Janie Cournoyer and Brady Tripp discuss that high school athletes fail to report symptoms of concussions due to their lack of knowledge on concussion education. For example, after a recent survey, Janie and Brady stated that 54% of participants receive knowledge of concussions from their parents, 60% from an academic source and 25% had no knowledge on what concussions is. The authors also included that most high students who don't report their concussion will likely suffer from post-concussion syndrome and second impact syndrome. It’s dreadful to hear that young athletes can suffer so much just because they lack information on how to evaluate a concussion. Not just the student athlete but the writer explains how parents and coaches have minimal knowledge on evaluating a concussion and choosing whether to put the athlete back to play. In addition, Janie and Brady mention that common symptom presented in a concussion were headaches, dizziness, and confusion. These all can be very harmful to a young athlete because it puts their health at risk. As stated in the article, about 60 - 70% of athletes who suffer a concussion will experience a coma or

Teaching players, coaches and family members about the outcome of concussions, will help further aware the people about the problems of having physical contact in the game. For example, writer Janie Cournoyer from the Journal of Athletic Training mentions that about 25% of all participants had zero knowledge on what concussion was and about 54% had it explained to by their parents. In addition, the writer also states that most athletes fail to report their symptoms of a concussion due to their lack of knowledge of it. This is very dangerous because it puts the athlete in a dangerous state if he or she doesn't get checked. Some football players get on the field not knowing a single thing about how concussions occur. They know that football is a physical sport and that you can get severely hurt but they may not know the future symptoms that come when playing football. In addition, writer Holly Schmie from the Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance states that the only way to reduce the percentage of people who don't know anything about concussions is to consider establishing a Concussion Management Policy. This policy mentioned by the author states that the approach will be focused on “developing a concussion management team and a policy requiring baseline pre-concussion testing within the school district”. It's important that every school has proper

This essay will examine an intervention for concussion awareness and prevention throughout the United States. Due to the prevalence of concussions throughout the U.S., public health has pushed to implement awareness of how serious this topic is. Concussions can lead to traumatic brain injuries (TBI), which can lead to mortality (HEADS UP, 2016). Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shared that over 138 people die from TBI on a daily basis in the U.S. (HEADS UP, 2016). Programs are being implemented to educate parents, coaches, and young athletes in hopes of concussion reduction. The CDC has created an intervention called Heads Up to provide educational resources for athletes, coaches, parents, and health professionals in regards to concussions. Studies have been conducted that have provided statistical information on how effective the Heads Up program is and suggestions on how it should be considered mandatory training. The Heads Up program has created an outbreak as many states have incorporated policies and laws in regards to concussions.

Most states have three action steps that must be used in order to provide maximum safety for the athletes that are playing the games. The first step is to “educate coaches, parents, and athletes.” By educating coaches, parents, and athletes about the possibility of getting a concussion while playing a sport, they will all know what to look for if there is ever a hard hit to the

Although there are many ways that athletes, coaches, parents, and medical professionals can improve the conditions of head injuries, they have not been proactive about it. The problem of concussions and the underreporting of the condition

Concussions happen throughout every sport and every level. Elise Legult, Programme Specialist (education finance) at UNESCO Institute for Statistics, stated, “Individuals age 19 and under sustaining concussion climbed from 153,375 to 248,414. It rose 65% from 2001-2009” (Legault, et al. 1) This statistic shows that although there are some ways of preventing concussions, it does not mean concussions are completely prevented. Zackery is a high school football player, he was hit hard on a play and he sustained a concussion. Coach then puts Zackery back in the game, which made his concussion worse; the continuous hit after he sustained a concussion made the situation life and death for Zack. With Lystedt family, Washington state passed a bill called The Zackery Lystedt Law. The law prohibits players from participating in a game if they are suspected, or actually sustaining a concussion during a game(Lucke 2). Zackery Lystedt Law focuses around three central provisions: Education of athletes, parents, and coaches; requirement of immediate removal of the player, and medical clearance in order to return (Harvey 4)

Players of the modernized Nation Football League are tremendously bigger, faster, and stronger than they once were. Taken from the Current Events of the Weekly Reader Corporation, the article “Hit Men” explains, “one reason concussions are becoming more severe and frequent in the NFL is that the average size of the players is increasing.” The physical expectation set by the NFL constantly pushes these athletes to achieve their most preeminent physical state. Although this “survival of the fittest” notion may sound encouraging, the result is seen in the amount of concussion numbers increasing over the years. However, this necessity to greater themselves can be seen on both sides of the argument. Jeb Golinkin, the author of “Why Parents Should Let Their Kids Play Dangerous Sports” acknowledges how “between the lines, our children learn the importance of teamwork, sportsmanship, toughness, and competitiveness”(11). The qualities attained through contact sports are essential in order to make it in todays working world, not to mention how valuable they are in managing interpersonal relationships. With that being said the argument could be made that these life skills could be learned elsewhere. Sports like baseball and volleyball both offer the opportunity to learn these qualities and many other skills, without the same risks football imposes on its players. Overall, although football