Not long ago, getting your “bell rung” was a normal occurrence in sports; it was considered just part of the game. Today the true effects of concussions and Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) are becoming more well known, but they still occur everyday in sports. There should be better evaluations of concussions in sports because there is a growing number of athletes suffering brain trauma and the devastating effects of concussions.
In the United States alone, there are between 1.6 and 3.8 million sports related concussions every year (momsteam.com). This is a huge number considering the amount of athletes that take part in sports in the U.S. Concussions over time cause serious damage even though the definition of a concussion is a mild head injury. There is nothing minor about a concussion, over time, concussions cause serious health risks and are linked to diseases like dementia. If parents expect their children to play sports like football or hockey, we need to make serious changes on safety regulations and or how the game is played. A startling statistic from the University of Pittsburgh Neurosurgery states that “suffering a second blow to the head while recovering from a concussion has lead to 30-40 deaths in the last decade for high school athletes”. These young people will only receive one chance to play sports. Very few will go on to make a career out of it. Athletes ages 16-19 sustain an estimated 136,000-300,000 concussions per year(momsteam.com). These young athletes will become or already are the driving force in our world. If they plan on being cooperative members of society, they can not be plagued by the constant pain and significant health problems associated with concussions.
An ethical reason that there should be better evaluations of sport related head injuries is that athletes do not deserve a lifetime of pain from a preventable injury. A recent example of this would be the suing of the National Football League for concealing the dangers of traumatic brain injuries and concussions from their players while promoting and profiting from the sport’s violence (chicagotribune). Furthermore the NFL hired their own doctors conducting tests on concussions on current players, as their data concluded NFL athletes were 19 times more likely to receive dementia. (headgames by Chris Nowinski) More than 4,500 players will have to live with constant headaches, loss of memory, and changes in personality and behavior (chicagotribune). A concussion is an injury which will never entirely heal, it is something which will always be with you. The more TBI’s we can prevent from happening to athletes will not only make the sport safer but more enjoyable for players and fans.
An ethical standpoint on preventing concussions in sports is that more and more of today’s youth are getting involved in sports. Children who play sports like football and continue through middle school and high school and even college are putting their bodies through years of abuse from the high impacts of the game. Parents and coaches need to start using procedures to identify and treat concussions. As in the case of 13 year old football player Zackery Lystedt who suffered a concussion but returned to play. Zackery collapsed shortly after returning and now lives with permanent brain damage.The state of Washington enacted a law that requires a licensed healthcare professional to examine any athlete who is thought to be concussed. (espn) Such legislation can protect our children from the devastating effects of concussions. Today’s youth between the ages of 15-24, sports are the second leading cause of traumatic brain injuries behind only car crashes. (momsteam.com) There are cases like Zackery’s all over the country with children who suffer Injuries that will have permanent effects on them. Head injuries are more well known then were now. Parents who played in their youth do not want their children suffering the same consequences they did from playing sports. Serious changes must be made if we expect our children to enjoy athletics.
Works Cited
Barton, Lindasy. "Concussion Statistics for High School Sports." (n.d.): n. pag. Web.
"NFL, Players Agree to Settle Concussion Lawsuit." 29 Aug. 2013: n. pag. Print.
"Concussions." Concussions (n.d.): n. pag. Web. 4 Oct. 2013. <http://www.neurosurgery.pitt.edu/centers-excellence/brain-and-spine-injury/concussions>.
In the United States alone, there are between 1.6 and 3.8 million sports related concussions every year (momsteam.com). This is a huge number considering the amount of athletes that take part in sports in the U.S. Concussions over time cause serious damage even though the definition of a concussion is a mild head injury. There is nothing minor about a concussion, over time, concussions cause serious health risks and are linked to diseases like dementia. If parents expect their children to play sports like football or hockey, we need to make serious changes on safety regulations and or how the game is played. A startling statistic from the University of Pittsburgh Neurosurgery states that “suffering a second blow to the head while recovering from a concussion has lead to 30-40 deaths in the last decade for high school athletes”. These young people will only receive one chance to play sports. Very few will go on to make a career out of it. Athletes ages 16-19 sustain an estimated 136,000-300,000 concussions per year(momsteam.com). These young athletes will become or already are the driving force in our world. If they plan on being cooperative members of society, they can not be plagued by the constant pain and significant health problems associated with concussions.
An ethical reason that there should be better evaluations of sport related head injuries is that athletes do not deserve a lifetime of pain from a preventable injury. A recent example of this would be the suing of the National Football League for concealing the dangers of traumatic brain injuries and concussions from their players while promoting and profiting from the sport’s violence (chicagotribune). Furthermore the NFL hired their own doctors conducting tests on concussions on current players, as their data concluded NFL athletes were 19 times more likely to receive dementia. (headgames by Chris Nowinski) More than 4,500 players will have to live with constant headaches, loss of memory, and changes in personality and behavior (chicagotribune). A concussion is an injury which will never entirely heal, it is something which will always be with you. The more TBI’s we can prevent from happening to athletes will not only make the sport safer but more enjoyable for players and fans.
An ethical standpoint on preventing concussions in sports is that more and more of today’s youth are getting involved in sports. Children who play sports like football and continue through middle school and high school and even college are putting their bodies through years of abuse from the high impacts of the game. Parents and coaches need to start using procedures to identify and treat concussions. As in the case of 13 year old football player Zackery Lystedt who suffered a concussion but returned to play. Zackery collapsed shortly after returning and now lives with permanent brain damage.The state of Washington enacted a law that requires a licensed healthcare professional to examine any athlete who is thought to be concussed. (espn) Such legislation can protect our children from the devastating effects of concussions. Today’s youth between the ages of 15-24, sports are the second leading cause of traumatic brain injuries behind only car crashes. (momsteam.com) There are cases like Zackery’s all over the country with children who suffer Injuries that will have permanent effects on them. Head injuries are more well known then were now. Parents who played in their youth do not want their children suffering the same consequences they did from playing sports. Serious changes must be made if we expect our children to enjoy athletics.
Works Cited
Barton, Lindasy. "Concussion Statistics for High School Sports." (n.d.): n. pag. Web.
"NFL, Players Agree to Settle Concussion Lawsuit." 29 Aug. 2013: n. pag. Print.
"Concussions." Concussions (n.d.): n. pag. Web. 4 Oct. 2013. <http://www.neurosurgery.pitt.edu/centers-excellence/brain-and-spine-injury/concussions>.