Concussions In Football

The game of football is being attacked. We see it every day in the headlines and on the news. The medical concerns are obvious. The game has taken more than its share of criticism. Even President Barack Obama said that if he had boys he wouldn’t let them play football. LeBron James publicly said no football in his house. So the question is asked all the time, Why would anyone want to play football? And why would anyone let their kids play? Here’s my answer. I believe there’s practically no other place where a boy is held to a higher standard then football. Football is hard, it’s tough, it demands discipline, it teaches obedience, it builds character. Football is a metaphor for life.

Concussions are brain injuries that can be caused by either a blow to the head or the head and body shaking. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention had a significant amount of research on how to prevent concussions. They disclose that tackling is responsible for nearly two-thirds of concussions in High School football whereas teaching better tackling techniques to avoid head hits would be one way to reduce the number of concussions (Bain Injury Safety Tips and Prevention). It also states that about half of the plays that an individual receives a concussion is due to a running play which generates the importance on keeping close attention to the running plays (Bain Injury Safety Tips and Prevention). Plays in the middle where a linebacker and a running back meet at full speed can prove to be very dangerous. Cheap hits can also be a reason why some players receive concussions, which is why adding new rules those cheap blows to he head, or blindsides can be called a personal foul to discourage players from them (Bain Injury Safety Tips and Prevention). Obviously not every concussion occurs during games, they can also occur during football practices. Cutting down on full contact practices and also tackling drills can put players at less risk of concussions. Eliminating dangerous drills would eliminate the number of concussions during practice.

Head injuries in football can lead to finished careers because of injuries such as; brain damage, concussions, and other major head traumas.Some retired players want to sue the NFL because they claim that coaches were aware of concussions that turned into dementia.Certain types of brain damage can cause mood swings, and some times permanent mental damage. Almost all football players end up with some type of brain damage.

The lack of knowledge that the majority of athletes enter the league with causes experts on the NFL’s policies to believe that the front office does not see the injury as a serious problem in the game today. “With the subsequent deaths of several relatively young retired NFL players, the autopsies of their brains, and the newly minted diagnosis chronic traumatic encephalopathy, we know the problem is real” (Carroll). This quotation intensifies the emphasis on the true problem the National Football League seems to be avoiding. Every injury, no matter how small or seemingly unimportant, needs to be addressed. “Even the only game that matters doesn't matter as much as your brain” (Flynn). There is nothing wrong with a person participating in the sport he loves, but when a blow to the head occurs, quick and efficient action must be taken to address the situation at hand. The National Football League and its policies do not suffice in relation to this area of concern. The fact of the matter is that no game, activity, or sport is worth a person’s

“There are between an estimated 1.6 and 3.8 million sports-related concussions in the United States every year”(“Statistics”) Concussions can lead to death or permanent injury. A concussion is a brain injury that causes long term brain damage. Some football players will hide injuries, so that they can continue to play the game. Rules have been changed to protect the players health, for example if a player is suspected of have a concussion they are not permitted to play without getting checked out. Football concussions have a long lasting effect on physical and mental health. Concussions also affect how the game is played and regulated.

Every wondered how dangerous a simple sport like Football can be ? I’m sure you’ve seen it at least once on your Television. I’m sure you once thought to yourself how awesome it is to have a career where you can be paid millions to chase around a ball in front of a camera. I’m sure you believe that those football players are living the life, But do you really know the true price they’re paying ? Imagine your son/daughter asks you to allow them to join their school’s football team, Who wouldn’t want a star athlete kid right ! Wrong. I’m positive you believe that the thick armor and helmets they wear are enough to protect them from any serious internal and external injuries right ? You’re wrong again. Wanna know a secret ? Those helmets don’t protect your child against any Concussions at all. According to David Camarillo’s TED Talk titled

A strong willed linebacker accelerates down the football field. He eyes up his opponent- the running back- both men lower their heads, bracing for impact, while helmets crunch, fans roar. Immediately after connecting, the running back 's head feels undeniably different, but at this point in the game, it would cost the team playoff contention if they lose. This man is young, rich, and famous, but little does he know that each concussion he gets brings him one step closer to his own grave. Multiple concussions relating to sports leads to early onset Dementia and CTE, loss of life, changes in how games are played, lawsuits, and even more unsettling concussion facts and statistics.

In 2015, a movie starring Will Smith as a doctor named Bennett Omalu who is researching how a former football player died when he discovered a brain disorder that is related to Alzheimer’s disease and attempted to warn people about the head-related dangers of football. This nonfiction movie is about just the beginning of the football concussion problems, but the problems still exist today. All players are at risk, not only professionals, but kids as well. Countless concussions by football players have lead to trauma and even death. Officials in charge of these games need to make the game safer for all players and better equipment is required or football may go extinct in the future.

“1 in 5 concussions are caused by a head to surface impact.” (NA, November 2015).

Football is all about the fame and money until BOOM, you’re hit and out for the season with a concussion. The cause of a concussion is getting hit in the head too hard with or without a helmet. No matter what sport you are playing, if you get inside the head too hard it could affect your brain bad or sometimes not as bad. Concussions can happen all around the world, a lot of people suffer from them few die from them. The effects include Memory Loss, CTE, and Long-Term Brain Damage.

Although Concussions were common and treated like a light injury in the past, it is a very serious problem today. Many people have discussed the dangers of concussions that can happen in football. Evidence supports one opinion: kids should not play football.

A major issue that has had a recent rise in concern is that of concussions in the NFL. Branching off of this, the media does not do a good job of giving the audience information on this topic and how it has become a problem. Even though concussions have become a very serious part of football, it hasn’t gotten the attention it should to have.

Football is a rough sport. Many fans of the game watch it for the hard hits. These hard hits and the potential for injury is part of what makes the game so exciting. Some people say that football is too brutal and should be banned. Parents all over the United States don’t allow their children to play because of the risk of head injuries. Others allow their sons, and every now and then their daughters, to play and risk injury for a chance to earn a college scholarship and for a small percentage of players, the chance to play in the National Football League (NFL).

In recent years, the number of soccer injuries among players has increased. Soccer injuries can be extreme. Injuries cannot always be prevented, especially in contact sports. There are ways to help decrease the amount and make soccer safer, but it must be intentional. Soccer is dangerous in many ways. It causes concussions, fractures, torn muscles and other dangerous injuries to parts of your body.

Concussions in American football have always been an issue of league, but lately have gained much needed attention. In almost all levels of competitive football, the impact of hits to the head are affecting players lives and function. Concussions are more significant in the National Football League as hits taken in the NFL are harder than any of the other leagues. “Problems with concussions in football have been reported to have occurred to children as young as 8 years old” (Hamblin). Concussions are very dangerous and can leave a longtime effect on someone who has sustained this type of injury. My goal is to shed some light on the severity and impact concussions play in American football, while providing ways to tackle this issue.