Every time a football player laces up his cleats, straps on his helmet, and steps on that field, he could be making one of the biggest mistakes of his life. Brain damage caused by multiple blows to the head has never received the appropriate attention that it deserves. A recent study by researchers at the Department of Veterans Affairs’ brain repository in Bedford, Massachusetts showed that of the brain tissue from 128 former football players examined, 101 (78.9%) of them tested positive for CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy) (Goff). CTE is a degenerative brain disease the results from head trauma, and contains symptoms such as: memory loss, confusion, aggression, depression, suicidal thoughts, parkinsonism, and progressive
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Now, the reason this is a relevant solution is because the modern technology found in helmets that supposedly better protects a player’s head still fails to prevent concussions. In fact, they’re considerably more dangerous because they give an athlete a false sense of security; once he latches on that chinstrap, he feels invincible as if nothing could possibly harm him. An american football player with the newest and “safest” helmet, flying around the field at an average 18 mph, uses his helmet almost as a weapon, trying to make a highlight hit; he’s not worried about getting a head injury because he has the helmet to protect that noggin. Lets take a look at football’s counterpart, rugby. Do they run into each other at full speed, do they make aggressive tackles, stiff arms, and hard jukes? Yes to all of the above; so what’s the big deal? Fact is, rugby players don’t suffer nearly as many concussions. Since they don’t wear helmets, they do as much as they can to avoid leading with their heads. Rather than hitting with their exposed heads, rugby players use a “wrap up” tackling method. Although they do see more broken collarbones and separated shoulders, it’s substantially better than having a long-term brain disease that is known to cause one to commit …show more content…
How can a player who had gotten his bell rung and has no clue where he was, come back into the game during the same quarter? Although the football player passed the concussion test, it doesn’t mean his brain isn’t injured. Across the nation, from peewee, to juniors, high school, college, and pro football, trainers are found on the sidelines waiting to evaluate a player with symptoms indicating a possible concussion. These trainers have to stay on their toes, because every football player faces a 75% chance of suffering a concussion during his career (Institute). Once the player shows no more signs of a concussion, they’re cleared to get back out on the field (Committee). This has got to change; brain trauma is not a matter to take lightly. The best way to handle the situation is to take precautionary measures and keep the player on the bench for the remainder of the game so he can be further examined. As important as winning is to these competitors, down the road, nothing is worth the precious years of their
Now, the reason this is a relevant solution is because the modern technology found in helmets that supposedly better protects a player’s head still fails to prevent concussions. In fact, they’re considerably more dangerous because they give an athlete a false sense of security; once he latches on that chinstrap, he feels invincible as if nothing could possibly harm him. An american football player with the newest and “safest” helmet, flying around the field at an average 18 mph, uses his helmet almost as a weapon, trying to make a highlight hit; he’s not worried about getting a head injury because he has the helmet to protect that noggin. Lets take a look at football’s counterpart, rugby. Do they run into each other at full speed, do they make aggressive tackles, stiff arms, and hard jukes? Yes to all of the above; so what’s the big deal? Fact is, rugby players don’t suffer nearly as many concussions. Since they don’t wear helmets, they do as much as they can to avoid leading with their heads. Rather than hitting with their exposed heads, rugby players use a “wrap up” tackling method. Although they do see more broken collarbones and separated shoulders, it’s substantially better than having a long-term brain disease that is known to cause one to commit …show more content…
How can a player who had gotten his bell rung and has no clue where he was, come back into the game during the same quarter? Although the football player passed the concussion test, it doesn’t mean his brain isn’t injured. Across the nation, from peewee, to juniors, high school, college, and pro football, trainers are found on the sidelines waiting to evaluate a player with symptoms indicating a possible concussion. These trainers have to stay on their toes, because every football player faces a 75% chance of suffering a concussion during his career (Institute). Once the player shows no more signs of a concussion, they’re cleared to get back out on the field (Committee). This has got to change; brain trauma is not a matter to take lightly. The best way to handle the situation is to take precautionary measures and keep the player on the bench for the remainder of the game so he can be further examined. As important as winning is to these competitors, down the road, nothing is worth the precious years of their