There is no denying that every time an athlete suits and plays a football game, it comes with the risk of sustaining an injury. And of all the potential injuries one can encounter, concussions are the main ones that have been brought out into the limelight in recent years. With all the new attention on concussions and the possible future effects it can have on a person, it is natural to be hesitant when allowing a child to participate in youth football. However, there are many benefits that children can reap from playing team sports. A healthy lifestyle, teamwork, hard work, perseverance, and life-long memories and friendships are a few great things that come along with being an athlete. Character traits gained while being an athlete are proven
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Protective gear is becoming more advanced, rule changes are being implemented, and proper tackling technique is becoming more important in the game of football today. These changes should bring some peace of mind to parents of student athletes going forward. Concussions are not fully preventable, as any direct contact to the head can potentially jar the brain inside the skull. However, football is not the only culprit. Baseball, soccer, lacrosse, skateboarding, snowboarding, and pretty much all active hobbies come with concussion risks. Rather than being fearful of concussions and keeping children out of these activities, it is more beneficial to become knowledgeable of concussions instead. Football is known as a “tough-guy” kind of sport, but coaches should start implementing a more responsible mentality into young athletes. Leading with the crown of your helmet and hitting an opposing player above the shoulders is not a way to prove toughness. It’s dangerous, and it is hits like those that lead to concussions. However, leading with the shoulder pad, staying below the ball carrier’s shoulders, and wrapping up with both arms is the safest and most sure way of …show more content…
So, what about those who will eventually have to leave their playing days behind and get a job in the real world? Kevin M. Kniffin and Brian Wansink, two individuals involved in the Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, teamed up with Mitsuru Shimizu, an assistant professor of psychology at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, to do a study that will answer that question. They orchestrated questionnaires to test how youth sports leads to future success in the world. They tested the leadership skills, self-confidence, and prosocial behaviors of both former athletes, and of individuals who were part of the yearbook staff or in their high school’s band. Two separate studies were done, and the first one showed that people actually expect former athletes to contain more leadership skills and character traits, and are consequently more likely to hire them into higher-status careers. Study two was a bit more specific and questioned individuals between the ages of 73 and 91. This studied showed that “men who participated in varsity-level high school sports an average of 60 years earlier appeared to demonstrate higher levels of leadership and enjoyed higher-status careers (Sports at Work, 217).” The authors of this article were also surprised to find that former athletes also tended to participate in more charitable-giving and
Protective gear is becoming more advanced, rule changes are being implemented, and proper tackling technique is becoming more important in the game of football today. These changes should bring some peace of mind to parents of student athletes going forward. Concussions are not fully preventable, as any direct contact to the head can potentially jar the brain inside the skull. However, football is not the only culprit. Baseball, soccer, lacrosse, skateboarding, snowboarding, and pretty much all active hobbies come with concussion risks. Rather than being fearful of concussions and keeping children out of these activities, it is more beneficial to become knowledgeable of concussions instead. Football is known as a “tough-guy” kind of sport, but coaches should start implementing a more responsible mentality into young athletes. Leading with the crown of your helmet and hitting an opposing player above the shoulders is not a way to prove toughness. It’s dangerous, and it is hits like those that lead to concussions. However, leading with the shoulder pad, staying below the ball carrier’s shoulders, and wrapping up with both arms is the safest and most sure way of …show more content…
So, what about those who will eventually have to leave their playing days behind and get a job in the real world? Kevin M. Kniffin and Brian Wansink, two individuals involved in the Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, teamed up with Mitsuru Shimizu, an assistant professor of psychology at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, to do a study that will answer that question. They orchestrated questionnaires to test how youth sports leads to future success in the world. They tested the leadership skills, self-confidence, and prosocial behaviors of both former athletes, and of individuals who were part of the yearbook staff or in their high school’s band. Two separate studies were done, and the first one showed that people actually expect former athletes to contain more leadership skills and character traits, and are consequently more likely to hire them into higher-status careers. Study two was a bit more specific and questioned individuals between the ages of 73 and 91. This studied showed that “men who participated in varsity-level high school sports an average of 60 years earlier appeared to demonstrate higher levels of leadership and enjoyed higher-status careers (Sports at Work, 217).” The authors of this article were also surprised to find that former athletes also tended to participate in more charitable-giving and