Concussions and Player Awareness
I. Introduction: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that between 1.6 and 3.8 million concussions occur each year (Stop Sports Injuries, 2009). Concussions and their ongoing treatments thereafter have been the source of much scrutiny throughout the history of organized athletics, and recently, the attention on professional sports organization’s handlings of such issues as Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) and Second-Impact Syndrome has amplified and a call to action is underway. There are vigorous, ongoing conversations taking place on how to manage the issue of concussions, and questions are being raised by athletes and associations alike about who is liable for the prevention …show more content…
Although programs and actions began to come into play in the 1950s, many professional sports organizations have only taken marginal action to limit the number of concussions. It was not until the 2011-12 season that the NBA became the final league out of the Big Four (NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL) to issue an official concussion policy, and in the years after, countless questions have been raised by the medical community over each of the specific policies and their resolve to avoid the problem. The majority of these league implemented procedures only involve simple tests and evaluations, followed by clearance from the team hired physician. A few of the immediate symptoms of a concussion include headache, confusion, dizziness, and nausea, while latter symptoms include slurring of speech, sleep disruption, and severe light sensitivity (Stop Sports Injuries, 2009). This list of symptoms is virtually unfeasible for a team physician to access and determine in the brief stints of time he is allowed with the players, as they are being hustled back into play by their respective teams who are more fixated on personal interests, than the players own wellbeing (Walter, …show more content…
1990’s and early 2000’s of the NHL where they observed decreases in attendance due in part to the restrictive rules implemented into the game (Miller & Collins, 2015). Another example is in the NFL and their recent change of the kickoff from the 30 to the 35-yard line, which does not necessarily make the game safer, according to Brian Mitchell, the all-time leading kick returner who said, “Kickers are just going to kick the ball higher, and guys are going to get down the field a lot quicker… People are going to get injured in this game. You 've got a bunch of very big guys that are muscular, fast, and running into each other.” This firsthand telling reiterates the idea that player awareness is key to terminating the concussion problem and the life changing epidemic, not rule changes.
VI. Conclusion: Raising player awareness of the issue by informing them of the risks and consequences that follow a concussion will lead to them adapting new techniques, thereby changing the game and making it safer for all.
A. If player awareness is not made the vocal point for solving the problem, players will continue in their old ways of thinking and acting, no matter the rule changes and punishments that are set in
I. Introduction: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that between 1.6 and 3.8 million concussions occur each year (Stop Sports Injuries, 2009). Concussions and their ongoing treatments thereafter have been the source of much scrutiny throughout the history of organized athletics, and recently, the attention on professional sports organization’s handlings of such issues as Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) and Second-Impact Syndrome has amplified and a call to action is underway. There are vigorous, ongoing conversations taking place on how to manage the issue of concussions, and questions are being raised by athletes and associations alike about who is liable for the prevention …show more content…
Although programs and actions began to come into play in the 1950s, many professional sports organizations have only taken marginal action to limit the number of concussions. It was not until the 2011-12 season that the NBA became the final league out of the Big Four (NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL) to issue an official concussion policy, and in the years after, countless questions have been raised by the medical community over each of the specific policies and their resolve to avoid the problem. The majority of these league implemented procedures only involve simple tests and evaluations, followed by clearance from the team hired physician. A few of the immediate symptoms of a concussion include headache, confusion, dizziness, and nausea, while latter symptoms include slurring of speech, sleep disruption, and severe light sensitivity (Stop Sports Injuries, 2009). This list of symptoms is virtually unfeasible for a team physician to access and determine in the brief stints of time he is allowed with the players, as they are being hustled back into play by their respective teams who are more fixated on personal interests, than the players own wellbeing (Walter, …show more content…
1990’s and early 2000’s of the NHL where they observed decreases in attendance due in part to the restrictive rules implemented into the game (Miller & Collins, 2015). Another example is in the NFL and their recent change of the kickoff from the 30 to the 35-yard line, which does not necessarily make the game safer, according to Brian Mitchell, the all-time leading kick returner who said, “Kickers are just going to kick the ball higher, and guys are going to get down the field a lot quicker… People are going to get injured in this game. You 've got a bunch of very big guys that are muscular, fast, and running into each other.” This firsthand telling reiterates the idea that player awareness is key to terminating the concussion problem and the life changing epidemic, not rule changes.
VI. Conclusion: Raising player awareness of the issue by informing them of the risks and consequences that follow a concussion will lead to them adapting new techniques, thereby changing the game and making it safer for all.
A. If player awareness is not made the vocal point for solving the problem, players will continue in their old ways of thinking and acting, no matter the rule changes and punishments that are set in