May 11, 2015 David Markel, Head Coach Ruston High School football 502 University Lane Ruston LA 71270 Dear Mr. Markel I have attached my technical report to this letter of transmittal. My technical report includes information about head exposure in youth football and how can it be prevented. I have researched and read many articles about this controversial topic. Head trauma will never be completely eliminated, but football can be made much safer and brain trauma can be drastically reduced. Many solutions have been proposed and I have made an easy to follow 3 step plan for safer football. The first step is educating coaches, athletes and parents about concussions, their symptoms and how they can affect the athlete. Then, practices need …show more content…
They are not informed how big of an impact even a small player can make and how dangerous particular exercises can be. They are not as knowledgeable enough in concussion detection and diagnosis and do not know how to correctly manage a player if he would get one. Because of their lack of knowledge they can let their players get seriously injured and affect their lives even many years in the future. Knowledge and education is the first step to safer football and it is very important to be aware of these statistics. Coaches, players and parents need to know and understand how frequently and how big of the hits players are getting. Many solutions have been proposed, but it is impossible to solve it only with one step, it has to be a process. A 3 step plan has been made that will greatly reduce the risks of head trauma, without drastically changing the fundamentals of football. Step 1 - Concussion …show more content…
Concussion is traumatic brain injury with a brief loss in brain function. Concussions can occur with a hit, blow or bump to the head or the body causing the brain to move rapidly back and forth, shaking and twisting the brain within the skull. Concussion can be compared to an egg. After a hard jerk, the yolk at first hits one side of the shell and then rebounds to the other. Same thing happens with brain in the skull. Concussions are considered functional injuries. Rather than damaging the brain cells and tissues, they affect the biochemical processes of the brain. Now, as these chemical changes have occurred, the brain is more vulnerable to other head traumas and is more sensitive to increased stress. In most cases concussions occur without the loss of consciousness. Even though it is a mild brain injury, every concussion needs to be looked upon seriously. It is very important to recognize and respond properly to a concussion. Early treatment can help prevent further traumas and even
For the safety of the players in the present and future, a stricter concussion protocol should be required at all levels of football. Though improvements have been made, the game of football is constantly changing and the protocol needs to keep up with the changes. Today’s athletes are bigger, stronger, and faster than ever before: "Size and physical conditioning techniques in sports at all levels have evolved to create an intense athlete. They 're able to create more force, power and speed than ever before and that leads to harder hits and a greater number of hits" (Neporent). These advances in training have led to a more dangerous sport. The protocol has improved in recent years along with an emphasis on player safety, but the increasing numbers of players with long-term effects of concussions show there is still work to be done.
The injury is defined as a concussion when “it causes a change in mental status such as amnesia, disorientation, mental fogginess, confusion, nausea or vomiting, blurred vision or loss of consciousness.” (Mayo Clinic, n.d.)
Since football’s inception, it has been considered a manly sport. Young boys have been encouraged by their parents to participate in the game. For many boys, it is considered a rite of passage. However, football is a dangerous sport. A study conducted by the Center for Injury Research and Policy found, “an estimated 5.25 million football-related injuries among children and adolescents between 6 and 17 years of age were treated in U.S. emergency departments between 1990 and 2007. The annual number of football-related injuries increased 27 percent during the 18-year study period, jumping from 274,094 in 1990 to 346,772 in 2007” (Nation 201). These reported injuries include sprains and strains, broken bones, cracked ribs, torn ligaments, and concussions. A concussion usually happens when a player takes a hard hit to the head or is knocked unconscious on the playing field, and if not diagnosed and treated quickly, a concussion can result in death.
There are many theories regarding the mechanism of concussion but the precise mechanism is still not clear-cut. It is known that concussion is a clinical syndrome of neurological impairment that results from traumatic biomechanical forces transmitted to the brain that can occur either directly to the brain or indirectly to the brain. (5) To further explain the term concussion, it is important to know that it is a change in brain function following a force to the head, which may be accompanied by temporary loss of consciousness but is identified in conscious individuals with measures of neurologic and cognitive dysfunction. (6)
Another reason is the income the organization makes. For instance, the NFL and the national hockey league (NHL) are the top two sports to obtain concussions according to NeuroTracker. However, the NFL alone generates about 3.6 billion dollars a year. With that type of income they don’t speak on head trauma very much because they could potentially lose business which translates to income. Let’s look at this further. If there was a situation when Tom Brady and Aaron Rogers had a serious concussion and had to sit out the whole season, the National Football League would lose revenue because their two biggest prodigies of the company aren’t able to play. This would start public conversations and perceptions about how bad concussions are to the sport with such famous players
In conclusion I feel that the right steps are being taken by the people who are in charge to make sure every year the safety and knowledge of concussions are growing, and spreading through more and more teams. It is a serious problem that is not being taken lightly which is very reassuring to someone who played the game since first grade and has experienced several concussions. I hope one day that when I have kids if they want to take part in football I can put them on the field with the proper equipment and coaching and not have to worry about their safety as much as I would have to if this problem is never taken care of.
Concussion is a traumatic brain injury caused by a bump or blow to the head which causes the brain to move rapidly around the skull and can lead to chemical changes and damaged brain cells. Concussion can occur in a variety of ways, where some incidences may be more noticeable than others. In serious cases, concussions result in a loss of consciousness after
For those of you not familiar with concussions; concussions usually occur when you suffer a blow to the head. Events you can associate with concussions are typically head to head collusions in football, a header in soccer, or even strong whiplash. Typical symptoms of a concussion can vary in severity. Most people think that concussions usually occur when someone gets knocked out but that's not necessarily the case. One does not need to be knocked unconscious to sustain a concussion which is why it is important to know which symptoms to look out for. As I stated before concussion symptoms can vary so some of the symptoms to look out for include: difficulty concentrating, vomiting, headaches, nausea, and difficulty sleeping. Knowing
A lot of people don’t understand the severity of a head injury. In a new study showing that head impacts among second grade football players are sometimes as severe as those seen at the college level, the national president of Pop Warner said he will propose a rule that, for the first time, would limit the amount of contact allowed in practices. While football is a very fun sport to participate in and to watch, it is very dangerous. Head collisions are extremely dangerous and can give people concussions or even worse, lead to worse injuries. We should do more in order to ensure that these accidents don’t happen and prevent them. There was a discovery in a twenty one year old that had never been diagnosed with a concussion. CTE which is Chronic Traumatic Encephalophay is a brain disease that can be caused by multiple hits to the head. This disease is linked to depression, impulse-control problems, memory loss, and
When you think of an injury you normally think of a leg or an arm, but did you ever think you can hurt your head just as bad? The common head injury is called a concussion. A concussion is considered a mild traumatic brain injury. Concussions can be caused from several different factors. The two most common factors of a concussion are sport injuries and vehicle accidents. Some mild factors of a concussion are falls, bumps to the head, etc. Although concussions don’t seem to be a severe injury, they have several effects to the human body. Just like any other injury, concussions are a big deal.
A concussion is a bruise to the brain caused by the contact of your brain hitting you skull with significant force. Too many concussions can cause diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and CTE. The effects of concussions can be seen through former NFL players causing major universities and organizations to work towards limiting the number of concussion in sports.
A concussion is a serious type of brain injury. Concussions can change someone’s life completely, after suffering from a concussion you will lose certain abilities and be restricted of certain privileges. A concussions can be caused by a “blow to the head or body, falling, or a previous injury that shakes the brain inside of the skull.”
A concussion is a traumatic brain injury that alters the way the brain functions. Effects are usually temporary, but can include problems with headache, concentration, memory, judgment, balance, and coordination. Mayo Clinic Staff. A concussion occurs with a jolt or blow to the head, the brain bounces around and may make contact with the hard skull. Essentially, causing a bruise on the brain.
Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) and concussions have been a hot topic in all levels of football recently. Many people fear the effects of TBI’s and believe that football should be outlawed. The purpose of this research project is to discover if the sport of football needs to evolve in order to recognize the significance of TBI’s. Not only will this project focus on the negative effects of football, but the positives as well. In addition, various topics of football will be analyzed. The Madison Varsity football team (approximately 45 players) will be surveyed. Two or three Madison football coaches and the school trainer will also be contacted for an interview as well.
Did you know that in 2009 in the US there were 46,948 head injuries caused by American Football? These injuries consisted of concussions and other common head injuries in football. Many people in america are for and against football and its connection to many injuries caused by the violence of the sport. Some people think that football is too violent and dangerous and others argue against this claim. Based off of many reliable sources like BBC news and Heads Up Football many can come to the conclusion that if football is to be safe then we need to make lots of changes to gear, form, and even the rules present in the game. Many things factor into the dangers of football and the three dominant reasons are that Football can cause Concussions and