Imagine getting knocked out, and losing consciousness. Minutes later you get back up and are told to get right back on the field to play again. The National Football league has been plagued for years by concussion controversy. In the NFL (National Football League) there are way too many concussions.…
The Centers for Disease control estimates more than 300,000 sports-related concussions occur each year in the United States. A concussion is a brain injury characterized by an onset of impairment of cognitive and/or physical functioning. Even though concussions are considered "invisible injuries", they are still very serious head injuries that can have long lasting affects even 30 years later. Athletes shouldn't be able to participate in any physical activity until they are evaluated and signed off by a medical professional not just signed off by their coach. Concussions are serious head injuries that can affect a person's life up to 30 years after they get said concussion.…
The safety and value of an athlete’s life is being put in jeopardy because of viewers wants and owners wants. Another major problem is people just don’t really understand the repercussions of getting a concussion. Sure, people here it all the time that it’s not good to get a concussion. However, they do not understand the long term implications and life altering effects it can really have on one’s life. These are some of the many points John Affleck points out in his article: “If football is deadly, why do we still watch?”.…
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…
Among these threats is the danger of potential permanent brain damage. In the article, "High School Football's Benefits Outweigh the Risks," the author refers to a study conducted by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which used 3,439 former NFL players. According to Riley's account of this study, "Among these players, the incidence of neurodegenerative disease is three times higher than in the general population. " This shows that football is a high-risk sport. Preserving the mental health of young athletes is of great importance, especially because they still have a long life ahead of them.…
After all, these players bring money to this sport on a daily basis and deserve the rights to a healthy life afterwards. First off, a crucial issue becomes apparent with the physiological effects on players that have retired from football. In July 2009, researchers at Boston University School of Medicine in Massachusetts published findings that suggested a link between head injuries sustained while playing football and a degenerative brain disease known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy(CTE) (“NFL Head Injuries”). CTE connects with many retired football players which can lead to memory loss, reduction of mental functioning, and…
An extensive report about sports-related concussions in young people, released last week by the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council, made recommendations that included bolstering research, collecting data, examining injury protocols and educating the public. But the report identified one particularly stubborn challenge: the “culture of resistance” among high school and college athletes, who may be inclined to shrug off the invisible injuries and return immediately to the field. “There is still a culture among athletes,” the report said, “that resists both the self-reporting of concussions and compliance with appropriate concussion management plans.” Dr. Frederick P. Rivara, a pediatrician at the University of Washington’s…
He’s got magic in his feet! AND HE SHOOTS! HE SCO- but then the sun dims out, and two sets of your coach and teammates appear, the ringing in your ears creep deeper into your mind, your tackled to the ground by your own self. Many players of all types of sports are punished by participating in their passion.…
That is not the case however. Some may try to say that the number of concussions that are suffered from each year is decreasing. Although that is true, one concussion is too many. Even suffering from one bad concussion can result in a person having to deal with mental illnesses such as alzheimer’s and dementia later in their lives. The NFL as a business does not want to be known as a company that causes their employees to suffer from mental illnesses.…
Another study was conducted and it showed the amount of former players who had some sort of disease from concussions. Out of 92 football players, 88 of them had signs of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy. (CTE). (“Hard Knocks:Football Is One Of America 's Most Iconic Sports”). The game is becoming too dangerous and something…
Researchers have shown the importance of these injuries. Concussions are capable of ending athlete’s careers by nasty consequences. While every contact to the head is considered part of the game, each hit creates more opportunity for brain damage and mental illnesses. Even with all of these risks sports have become more safe then they ever have…
Some like O. J. Murdock, a former wide receiver for the Tennessee Titans, have committed suicide from the brain injuries that developed with each collision to the head (Burleigh 611). If the brain injuries that resulted from football are enough to have mental effect on ant football player, physical fitness and social appropriateness are two “achievements” that shouldn’t even be held up against the limping and pain that occurs after a player walks away from the…
Football is one of the most prevalent sports in the United states today. With billions of viewers watching the super bowl every year it is easy to say that these players are living their dreams with no struggles or downfalls. Behind the hidden doors of football, many of these players are facing a trauma that is not easy to resolve, mental health. This trauma does not only come from concussions and physical discomfort, but also through mental instability. The problem today is that numerous football fans envision that players are cut off from this present reality with their popularity and fortune as a way to escape life’s daily efforts.…
Mental Illness in Athletes Student Athletes are easily identifiable on college campuses. They are clothed in expensive athletic gear with their school’s logo and sponsor plastered on it, their headshots may appear in game day ads, and some exude confidence while walking through campus. On the other hand, some student athletes may be among the most insecure students on campus. Often times insecurities and stresses lead to mental illnesses, which can go unnoticed and that can lead to serious consequences.…
At the Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Program, the Emotional Responses to Athletes to Injury Questionnaire was used to evaluate emotional response to injury. Frustration, depression, anger and tension appeared most often and were the highest ranked emotions (Crossman, 1997; Smith, 1990 as cited in Smith, 1990). Among injured athletes of collegiate or elite status, common responses to injury were disbelief, fear, rage, depression, tension, and fatigue. (Weiss & Troxel, 1986 as cited in Smith, 1990) Johnston and Carroll (2000) studied differences between injured and uninjured athletes and reported that injured athletes disclosed greater negative affect, lower self-esteem, and higher levels of depression and anxiety. In congruence with Johnston and Emotions of Injured Athletes 3 Carroll’s findings, research on psychological consequences of athletic injury among high-level competitors revealed that injured athletes exhibited greater depression and anxiety and lower self-esteem than control groups immediately following physical injury and at follow-up sessions (Leddy, 1994).…