Concussions In Sports Research Paper

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Anthony Helton Mrs.Harvey English 102 January 31,2016 Sports Concussions A concussion is a brain injury caused by a blow,or heavy jolt to the head or a blow from the body that causes the head to move rapidly back and forth. They can range from mild to severe and can disrupt the way the brain normally functions. When being actively involved in sports an athlete runs a high risk of a possible chance of obtaining a concussion. Due to the physical toll participating in sports brings on your body, a concussion can occur. There are a number of ways from contact with another person, falling on the playing surface or being struck with an object such as a bat, racket or ball associated …show more content…

Many famous athletes have had life altering occurrences as a result of incurring a concussion from the sport they play. While this is mostly associated with football, there are many other sports in which concussions can and do occur. Awareness of the activities which may cause a concussion as well as ensuring that symptoms of the concussion are identified are critical to ensuring the safety of sports participants. Currently, 47% of all athletes fail to report that they are having symptoms of a concussion. In 2012, 3,800,000 concussions were reported which was double the amount reported just ten years earlier. Due to increased public awareness, this number has increased over time but is still a very low rate for such a serious, life threatening injury. Although, it is simply the nature of sports that concussions will occur, prevention is definitely something which can be enhanced through improved coaching of sports techniques and having athletes educated to the dangers associated with a concussion. Interestingly enough, not all concussions are caused at the actual competitive sporting event with one third occurring at a sports …show more content…

However, the most common sport which concussions take place is football. 47% of concussions occur during high school football season due to the high speeds and the physical punishment which takes place to the body on every play. Even though players are required to wear a helmet and mouth pieces, many players get hit in the head and the force of the hit is enough to shock the brain and develop a concussion. Of course football is not the only sport that concussions take place. Volleyballs can be served at high speeds which can hit a player in the face or head and end up in a concussion. Just like soccer, volleyball players do not wear helmets which increase the ability to receive a concussion during a volleyball game. Baseball is another sport that does not contain a lot of physical contact every play but it is still possible to get a concussion because of the high speeds which baseballs are thrown on almost every play. Baseballs are thrown at speeds high enough to hurt another player causing a concussion if they hit the head, even though a helmet is worn. Think of professional pitcher who can throw a baseball in the ranges of 90-100 mph. If that hits another person in the head or face that could cause a severe concussion or possible death depending on where the player got hit and whether or not they were wearing a hard shelled batting helmet at the

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