The Rise Of Concussions In Youth Sports

For this research synthesis I choose to write about concussions in football, specifically in youth football. I chose to focus more on youth football because concussions are such a big problem within the football world, so instead of focusing on them at a professional level it should be looked into at the entry level. If things can be done in youth football to prevent or lower the risk of concussions, then those steps should be taken. The main thing I wish to focus on is if tackling in youth football should be allowed. I came to choose this topic because I was deciding between whether or not football players should have to go to college before the NFL or concussions in football, but I chose concussions in football. Concussions in football was the topic I ended up choosing because I felt there would be more information about this topic. Also, I chose a topic dealing with sports because I grew up playing them, so I have always like them and I am a sport administration major, so I picked something that is talked about a lot in the sports world. This is an important issue because concussions can cause serious, lifelong medical issues, so they are something that needs to be addressed. My classmates should care because most of them have either played football or had a family member that played and they could have been effected by the negatives of concussions.

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

Today, one of the more common injuries in youth sports is a concussion. A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury that occurs after a player has either taken a hit to their body that has caused both the head a brain to quickly jerk back and forth, or by a sudden shock or knock to the head. With the force and sudden movement, there is movement of the brain which can cause chemical changes that can lead to permanent or stretching the brain cells. By the above definition you can start to think of many instances in sports where a player can receive a concussion.

A controversial issue has been whether or not contact sports should be played in high school. People believe that contact sports should not be allowed to be played by the youth in high school. This issue is serious enough to have safety laws. For instance, a traumatic brain injury (TBI) law is the Zackery Lystedt Law. The Zachery Lystedt Law was the first law to protect the safety of young athletes when the get concussions. This law says that children must not participate in sorts related functions, such as practices and games, until they are medically cleared to do so. Various reasons include exceeded the joys and benefits of playing contact sports. Said reasons include long term injuries, intense amounts of money needed, thus more sponsors needed, and contact sports have a trend of causing drug abuse.

In sports, the best athletes are the individuals that give each team a chance to win every game. The bad news for the best athletes is that sometimes their health gets put second to their abilities. Roughly 1.8 to 3.6 million sports related concussions happen each year (Concussion Statistics). Stronger and faster athletes as well as more impact of the hits or falls have doubled the number of concussions in a decade (Concussion Statistics). Concussions can happen to every athlete, but when it happens to the star athletes, it is different. Schools have to follow direct concussion safety laws, but professional sports have more leniencies (Get). Wins are more important in the professional leagues compared to the high school and amateur levels.

The video “Big Hits, Broken Dreams” tells the story of a high school football team in Greenville, North Carolina. The video also tells the story of tragic deaths of high school football players who suffered concussion injuries that were not properly handled. Although everyone plays a role in the protection of high school athletes, the primary responsibility for reducing concussions and concussion related deaths falls on the shoulders of school administration. School administration is responsible for distributing funds in different areas of the schools, and these officials must make the choice to hire an athletic trainer to advise and evaluate these athletes. Several questions are raised in regards to this topic. Why aren’t the players and coaches

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

Today, thousands of athletes across the country suffer from this common injury. This injury is an illness that is one with several serious side effects and can permanently end any star's career. Could you imagine being at the top of your game and then suffer a career shattering injury, many athletes face it every day. Today, concussions are a constant threat across the world of every sport. Primarily in football and hockey are two major sports with a level of play that causes an increase in concussions. Medical experts and leagues are doing the best they can to understand this growing problem. By comprehending the role concussions can play in the game of professional hockey, the league can help

Board of Education Guidelines for Policies on Concussions in Student Athletes, is "...a brain injury

The ambiguities and the variations in state concussion laws demonstrate a need for a more comprehensive and uniform system to protect student athletes. State laws are often ambiguous as to their scope in whether they apply to only those under the age or eighteen, or in their application to private schools and recreational youth activities. Although most states require an educational component, states vary drastically in who is required to have educational training, who is responsible to for developing it, and who is responsible for ensuring compliance with state requirements. Moreover, the decision on who is responsible for ensuring possible concuss athletes are removed varies by state, with many failing to even identify a person or persona.

Think about this, “how many people have had a concussion this year?” Probably more than one can count on one hand. On average there is close to 2.5 million concussions in the US that are caused by sports or recreational activities. In high school sports alone, “High school athletes are three times more likely to sustain catastrophic injuries than those people in college” (Gorgens.) Getting a concussions does not only cause physical pain, it can cause mental problems. There needs to be more precautions taken in protecting the players.

Big or Small: Concussion. Concussions are a head injure acquired from movement of the brain. Some causes of a concussion are “a bad fall, hit to the head, or stopping abruptly” (Elizabeth Smoots, 2015). This injure is most common in American football. In American football, many players receive hard blows to the head or is shoved down to the ground.

"Concussion: a trauma induced alteration in mental statues that may or may not result in loss of consciousness" (article 2). Your brain is the most important part of your body, when damaged even slightly there can be long term damage. High school students who push themselves and don't mind taking a hard hit, without knowing the true consequences of not being diagnosed and recovered fully.

In today’s society, sports are the main highlight in the lives of youth, collegiate, and some adults. Many boys and girls have hopes and dreams of one day becoming a professional athlete. Many people are so involved in the love of the game, that they are unaware if the dangers their children are in. The most dangerous sport involves the lives of males. Over the past decade, many athletes have died or have brain problems because of so many hits to the head, causing them to have a concussion. Concussions damage the brain and create illnesses and diseases the are hard to get rid of. Although sports in all levels are deeply ingrained in the American society, football and hockey are riddled with head injuries and should be changed from the lowest levels through professional sports to lessen the devastating effects of concussions.

Underreporting concussions is a growing issue among young athletes for several different reasons including jeopardizing spot on the field or letting teammates down, do not want to seem weak to their coaches, parents or teammates, want their peers to think they are tough and can “take the hit”, or they do not want to be pulled out of the game or practice. Some athletes believe that if they can get up and walk away from it, they can keep playing but this is not the case. In most cases they do not feel the symptoms until a few hours after the actual impact occurs. In a study conducted by Chrisman (2013), he gave high school varsity athletes 4 hypothetical scenarios of collisions. When giving these scenarios, the “investigators” refrained from