Sports Concussions

Running head: SPORTS CONCUSSIONS1

Sports Concussions

Clifford Cox

DeVry University

SPORTS CONCUSSIONS 2

Sports Concussions

A few years ago while I was in the Army, one of my friends

in the platoon named Colton took leave and went on a skiing trip.

After a few hours of skiing, Colton suffered a horrific accident

in which he ran into a tree. Colton was asked repeatedly, “are

you okay” but he persisted that he was fine. He dusted himself

off and went back to skiing like nothing happened. He would go on

to eat and have a few drinks with some of the other platoon

members before he suddenly collapsed, frightening those around

him. They rushed him to the hospital and it was determined that

Colton had suffered a concussion. When pressed for answers,

Colton had no recollection after the accident. He claimed he

remembered running into the tree but couldn’t remember anything

after that. This is one of the variables that make concussions

difficult to diagnose and treat because athletes often don’t know

they’ve suffered a concussion. A concussion is defined by Webster

as “An injury to a soft structure, especially the brain, produced

by a violent blow or impact and followed by a temporary,

sometimes prolonged, loss of function. A concussion of the brain

results in transient loss of consciousness or memory”


( The American Heritage® Science Dictionary, 2015). There is also a

culture in sports that hinders research on head injuries.

Concussions have become an issue that transcends all sports but

they are definitely more prevalent in football, hockey, and

rugby. With the fact that 47% of all sports concussions happen in

high school football (Sports Concussion Statistics, headcasecompany.com),

the main focus should be on our youth and the big question of

what can we as parents do? I believe that parents should wait

until their child is 14 before having them participate in violent

contact sports, however it should be their choice. Those who opt

to allow their children to participate at younger ages should be

educated on the risks of concussions as well as how to diagnose

and treat symptoms.

In order to make decisions on whether our children should

play sports, we must be informed on the effects of concussions

both short-term and long-term. Dr. Maryse Lassonde, a

neuropsychologist and the Scientific Director of the Quebec

Nature and Technologies Granting Agency claims that concussions

can have effects lasting decades and even when the symptoms seem

to have passed the brain is still not 100% normal. She also


states that concussions can have short term effects of dizziness,

amnesia, and depression. This is important to know because often

time’s coaches and parents will persuade a kid to play even

though they are exhibiting symptoms of a concussion. This culture

in sports has often caused re-injury and when dealing with

concussions this can potentially be fatal. In response to the

threat of concussions, states mandated in 2009 that all athletes

who are in High School or younger be removed from competition

immediately (Ollove, M, 2014). This new law helps to alleviate

some of the concern because young players cannot be forced or

persuaded into playing when they are suspected of a head injury.

Players are also mandated to be cleared by a neurologist before

returning to play. A concussion like any other injury cannot be

foreseen and because of this the injury itself is not the main

issue. The main issue is the culture of sports that limits data

as well as the threat of coaches and parents convincing these

kids to play early. These new laws help to eliminate some of the

concern about these issues.

In 2009 during a congressional hearing the NFL was

scrutinized about their policies regarding head injuries and were


even compared to tyrants like the tobacco industry ( Brandt, A,

2012). It was a black eye for a multi-billion dollar organization

that is known as the pinnacle of American football. The

statements made by retired players were speaking to the behind-

the-scenes culture of sports where a player is often pushed far

past their limits. This is another part of the problem with

concussions because not only are players often unaware they have

a concussion, those that do know are dismissed by their coaches

as having simply had their “bell rung”. These statements prompted

the NFL to increase penalties for violent hits as well as hiring

independent neurologists to clear players before returning to the

field. They also implemented stiff penalties for players leading

with their helmet and attacking a defenseless player such as a

wide receiver, quarterback, or kicker. The NFL also followed suit

of the states by mandating that players be cleared by an

independent neurologist before returning to play. The major

emphasis is that these neurologists are independent so there is

no individual bias to get a player back on the field. I believe

the NFL’s issue with concussions is a reflection of both the

culture of sports and the fact that we as a society are still


learning about the brain and concussions. The “play through it”

mentality in contact sports is even more prevalent on the NFL

level because there is money involved. So while kids are

pressured by their parents and coaches to keep playing, NFL

players are threatened by the possibility of losing their

livelihood which usually makes them avoid consulting a trainer or

neurologist. While former players accused the NFL of withholding

information about head trauma, I simply believe the league was

just as ignorant as the rest of us when it comes to concussions.

Most of the information about the severity of concussions is

recent and I find it hard to believe that the NFL knew about the

risks of concussions and failed to inform and protect their

players. The recent rule changes point to my theory that the

league knew just as much if not less than the rest of us.

The culture of sports serves its intended purpose of driving

players to their maximum limit. This can be great for getting

players to be the best they can be, however its unintended

consequence is that it can sometimes push players past their

limits. Regardless of the type of injury, players are often

pressured to play through it and “tough it out”. Some players


will voice how they’re feeling no matter what, while others

embrace it and live by it. Dr. Frederick P. Rivara , who led the

study at Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center at the

University of Washington in Seattle claims that the big problem

is that most players hide their symptoms ( K. Doyle, 2014). This

poses another angle on the sport culture because not only are

players convinced to play through injury some players don’t let

their coaches know they are injured. This is a major problem for

concussion research and it exposes players to repeat head trauma.

Dr. Rivara conducted a study in which Male high school football

players and Female soccer players answered a questionnaire before

the season about prior head injuries. Over the course of a year

he had parents, coaches, and athletic trainers report information

about head injuries throughout the season. According to the

survey of 778 athletes, 69 percent of those with concussions

reported playing with symptoms and 40 percent reported that their

coach was not aware of their concussion ( K. Doyle, 2014). At the

end of the year, Dr. Rivara concluded that 11 percent of soccer

players and 10 percent of football players suffered a concussion.

The players who don’t report their concussion symptoms are at a


greater risk for a disease called CTE. CTE or chronic traumatic

encephalopathy occurs when repetitive head trauma begins to

produce abnormal proteins in the brain known as “tau” (Breslow,

J. 2014). The “tau” proteins form tangles around the brains blood

vessels which disrupts normal functioning and kills nerve cells.

This is a major problem for those who suffer repeat concussions

and has been diagnosed to several notable pro players like Junior

Seau of The New England Patriots and Jovan Belcher of the Kansas

City Chiefs (Breslow, J. 2014). Jovan Belcher committed the

horrific act of shooting and killing his girlfriend and later

killing himself. Junior Seau committed suicide shortly after he

retired and sent shockwaves through the sports community. Both

situations represent the worst case scenario if players suffer

repeated concussions and are later diagnosed with CTE. This is

why a lot of institutions have mandated that players are removed

from play and have to go through concussion tests before being

cleared to play. A concussion, like any other injury is random

and the important thing is to make sure they are not frequent by

paying attention to signs and symptoms and removing players when

necessary. Parents, coaches, and players need to maintain


awareness of concussion effects and give players proper rest

before returning to play.

Here’s a graphic of a normal brain in comparison to one

affected by CTE.

The short answer to eliminate the threat of head trauma is

to not allow children to play contact sports. This answer is

unrealistic and would be doing a disservice to young kids who


want to play. It’s unrealistic because the demand for contact

sports is too high, children simply have fun competing and that

desire isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. The more realistic and

sensible approach for us as parents and legal guardians is to

educate ourselves and educate our children. This means letting

them know it’s important that they inform their coaches and

athletic trainers when they are feeling abnormal. Coaches and

athletic personnel are responsible for recognizing concussions

symptoms and being prompt with treatment. The government has done

their part legally to limit concussions and it is our job to make

sure players are being taken care of. The important values of

leadership, teamwork, and discipline are both the fabric of these

sports and our society. Giving children the opportunity to work

on these values helps them to become productive citizens and kids

who don’t participate often grow up without having these skills.

The best way to limit concussions is to teach proper form to

young athletes. It is sometimes shown on the pro level but more

often in college and high school but players will often perform

improper technique that leads to injury. As a kid growing up

playing football I was always taught never to lead with my helmet


when trying to tackle. My coaches stressed the importance of

leading with my shoulder when trying to tackle or running with

the ball. This is a principle that is stressed to players on all

levels because if you lead with your helmet you can suffer head

and neck injuries. During my time playing through high school, I

may have suffered a few concussions that weren’t diagnosed

because I was one of the players who bought into the tough nature

of physical sports. I now know that this was the wrong answer and

I should’ve informed my coaches of how I was feeling. During that

time I had no clue of the seriousness of concussions and the last

thing I would’ve ever wanted was to be taken out of the game.

Despite the risks I am now aware of today; I wouldn’t trade my

experience playing tackle football for anything. As a kid it kept

me out of trouble and as an adult I’ve carried lifelong lessons

with me that made me a better person. As a father I am now more

knowledgeable of concussions risks and I can pass what I know on

to my son. At the very least my son will know that it’s important

to inform your coaches if you’ve taken a hit to the head and you

don’t feel normal. It comes down to everyone maintaining a sense

of responsibility. Coaches have to be responsible by making sure


players are taught proper technique and are fitted with

functional equipment. Coaches must maintain contact with trainers

and educate themselves on the effects of concussions. Medical

professionals should continue to conduct research and tests in a

manner that further expands our understanding of the brain and

concussions. Parents who choose to place their children in

contact sports should make sure they are aware too. While

concussions are a legitimate concern, being responsible and

making sure your children are aware of the risks is a better

option than keeping them away from contact sports.


References

Concussion statistics. (n.d.). Retrieved April 9, 2015, from

http://www.headcasecompany.com/concussion_info/stats_on_conc

ussions_sports

(n.d.). Retrieved April 9, 2015, from http://www.merriam-

webster.com/

Shim, J., Smith, D., & Van Lunen, B. (2015). On-Field Signs and

Symptoms Associated With Recovery Duration After Concussion

in High School and College Athletes: A Critically Appraised

Topic. The Journal of Sports Rehabilitation.

Nordqvist, J. (2013, February 18). Concussions cause long term-

term effects lasting decades. Retrieved March 30, 2015, from

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/

Brandt, A. (2012, October 17). The NFL's concussion conundrum.

Retrieved March 30, 2015, from http://espn.go.com/

Sullivan, K. (2015, January 23). Concussions – an issue for male

and female athletes alike, Stanford professor says.

Retrieved March 30, 2015, from http://news.stanford.edu/

http://news.stanford.edu/

http://espn.go.com/

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/

http://www.merriam-webster.com/

http://www.merriam-webster.com/

http://www.headcasecompany.com/concussion_info/stats_on_concussions_sports

http://www.headcasecompany.com/concussion_info/stats_on_concussions_sports


Ollove, M. (2014, October 6). States move to protect High School

athletes from concussions, heat stroke. Retrieved March 30,

2015, from http://www.washingtonpost.com/

Breslow, J. (2014, September 30). 76 of 79 deceased NFL players

found to have brain disease. Retrieved April 11, 2015, from

http://www.pbs.org/

http://www.washingtonpost.com/

Documents

Sports Concussions