Sport of American Football

The player landed the hit with a loud crack. Laying on the football field the player was slow to get up, eventually making the journey to the sidelines. Once off the field they find the coach to beg for return to position in the game. Imagine now that you are the coach and must be the one to determine the return to the field or to sit the player out for a specific amount of time. Which is the better of the two choices? It is all dependent on how one looks at the situation and the details involved. If the player returns they could win the game for the team, confidently assure the medical and coaching staff that they are able to make a difference, scholarships could be on the line, scouts could be in attendance of the game, various other personal awards, coach approval, parental consent, post season game or even the last game that player will ever participate in. On the other hand the player could also go back in and receive an even harder tackle, be reinjured, a new injury occurs, fumble, missing a block that could indirectly injure another player, decreased performance, a mental effect from a hit or, even in rare cases, death. After knowing all of that information the coach must now make the decision. How should one look at this decision, much less be responsible for the choice of yes or no to the player.

This is the question that must be addressed in today's society, "Should an injured athlete be allowed to return to the field?" Many sports have been made safer over the years with rule changes and medical advancements, but neither rule nor doctor can prevent all injuries in any sport regardless of their qualifications. Injuries are nature's beast within sports that is unavoidable no matter how hard one tries to prevent it. Across...

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