The Effects Of Concussions On Sports Concussions

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All parents experience fear of their child playing sports due to the possible injuries a young athlete is susceptible to. ‘’Groups say they 're concerned because each year more than 60,000 high school athletes sustain a concussion. It 's an injury that temporarily affects brain function, though it may or may not cause a person to lose consciousness.’’ This statistic was generated by a group of doctors that specialize in concussion research. The increase of concussions in sports have a profound effect on athletes. Concussions rates in 2011 dramatically increased; their occurrence in athletes has increased by 200% over the recent years. With a recording of 3,800,000 concussions in 2012, it proves that change needs to occur for the safety of high school athletes. Section: Context Concussions today are among the most severe injuries in sports, especially in the game of football. Concussions can almost happen at any place or at anytime just depending on the situation you are in. 5-10 % of all athletes will experience a concussion during their time of play in whatever sport they are participating in. ‘’A typical high school football player receives about 650 hits to the head per season, according to researchers at Purdue University and the University of Michigan. The impacts of those hits are the equivalent of what a seat-belted passenger experiences in car accidents ranging from 15-to-35 mph, according to University of Nebraska professor Timothy Gay, author of “The Physics of Football.”Needless to say, that is a lot of contact that most likely could leave the athlete vulnerable to brain injury’’(Baumbatch) Football is the leading sport in concussions, therefore players should be especially aware of the dangers of concussions. The re... ... middle of paper ... ...mething to play with. ‘’Dubbed the Zero1, Vicis’ concussion solution is a multilayered, flexible helmet that’s particularly adept at diminishing rotational and linear impact forces. Specifically, the helmet was constructed to utilize four separate layers which work in perfect harmony with one another. It’s top layer —the Lode Shell— absorbs impact by locally deforming a specific part of a helmet. Think of it reacting like a bumper in a fender bender. Though the tech has existed in the auto industry for dozens of years, Vicis is the first company to bring deformation to a football helmet’’ (Stella). However, with technological innovations and improved safety practices where concussions are suspected, the amount of athletes suffering from lasting damage due to head trauma will be minimized and football can be a game with fewer injuries with long term complications.

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