Football is considered an all-American sport. I have been an avid fan of the NFL and its teams for many years and have even played the game myself. However, when observing not only the injuries sustained by professionals, but by the youth as well, it is clear that something is wrong. Although there have been many improvements in the design of football helmets and safety equipment, it cannot be denied that tackle football can be dangerous to the developing brains of children because padding makes kids feel invulnerable, the impacts can negatively affect children’s brain functions, and helmets only protect the skull and not the brain. To start, even with today 's modern padding, injuries can still occur. As technology continues to advance and …show more content…
When Haislop writes that, "players develop a sense of invincibility," he means that the padding and protection worn, gives false security to the players. This sense of security leads to the increased severity and frequency of hits, which in turn, is a cause for concern for those who are playing tackle football before the age of 12. According to an online study, “Playing tackle football before the age of 12 is associated with an increased risk of developing memory and thinking problems in middle age — at least among former professional football players…. Players were given… tests that measured a variety of cognitive abilities... [and]… [w]hen the results… were analyzed, …those… who had started football before the age of 12 scored ‘significantly worse’ [compared to those who started after 12]” …show more content…
When, “13-year-old Zackery Lystadt’s head hit the ground as he rolled through a routine tackle in 2006,… [h]e didn’t lose consciousness. But he did… [clutch] the sides of his helmet” (Hamblin). Playing the rest of the game, “[Lystadt] collapsed and was rushed to the hospital, where he required emergency neurosurgery to relieve pressure inside his skull” (Hamblin). An imaging study done later concluded that, “players ages 8 to 13 who have had no concussion symptoms still show changes associated with traumatic brain injury” (Hamblin). In this study, male athletes from ages eight to thirteen had their brains analyzed following a full season, and was compared to analyses of their brains from the beginning of the season. With the data they were able to collect, it was discovered that, “[b]oys who experienced more head impact[s] had more changes [related to the brain’s white matter]” (Hamblin). In wake of this event, “The state of Washington created a new law in [Zackery Lystadt’s] name, sometimes known as the “shake it off” law, which requires players who show signs of concussion to be examined and cleared by a medical practitioner prior to re-entering a game” (Hamblin). With these studies, it would seem that the potential for permanent brain injury would be more carefully considered by coaches, schools, and professional leagues
Are young children putting their health and even their lives at risk if they partake in the sport of football? Some claim that the American sport is far too dangerous and the risk of concussions and injuries far outway the pros of the physical sport, while others insist that technological improvements and new regulations have made the sport safer. Jonathan Zimmerman, a professor of history and education at New York University, argues in his paper, “We Must Stop Risking the Health of Young Football Players,” that football is a sport that is too dangerous for the youth. He states his belief that technological improvements in helmets and changes in the rules of the sport have had little effect on reducing injuries and that nothing has worked.
The average NFL player takes up to 1,000 blows to the head throughout their football career. Some of those blows can have the force of a sledgehammer (“RealNatural”). Based on a research study by Dr. Jesse David, there were 265 concussions reported in the 2012 season, during the 2011 season there were 266 concussions, and 270 concussions in 2010 season (Kacsmar). It has been known that repeated blows to the head can cause long-term brain damage since at least the 1950’s, long before most of the NFL players had begun their careers (“RealNatural”). Past infractions of the NFL have already resulted in over 4,500 forme...
Children who are active recklessly engage in activities where injuries can occur. Nobody can predict when or how seriously anybody will get injured during an activity, however, the risks of children playing tackle football is prevalent where the dangers are imminent. The game of tackle football on a youth level is dangerous for children since they are developing physically and mentally. According to an article from The Atlantic, “America’s most dangerous football is in the peewee leagues, not the National Football League” (Barra, 2013). According to a journal article, “sports injuries account for approximately 23% of pediatric emergency department injury related visits” (Podberesky, Unsell & Anton, 2009). “Of these sports injury-related
A. Background In recent years, there has been an increase in research investigating the long-term effects of repeated head trauma on the brain, especially in athletes. Following his discovery of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), Dr. Bennet Omalu inspired a movement of research aimed at establishing better safety standards and protocols in football. It was not until 2002 that the initial connection between repetitive head trauma, such as concussions, and brain injury was suspected (Ott, 2015). As common as concussions were during the late 1970s and 1980s, they were often swept under the rug, as they were seen as insignificant injuries.
Concussions have become arguably the #1 most prevalent issue in football today. The number of concussions throughout football has been rising for the past 20-30 years and there seems no way of stopping them. However, the NFL and many private researchers are set on finding a way to conquer this issue. They want to stop these concussions from happening and prevent the diseases resulting from them that have ruined so many football families’ lives. In order to solve this problem, I think that these researchers need to combine all of their knowledge to solve an issue that so many want solved. As soon as we conquer this “illness” we can return to enjoying the game that we love.
The National Football League was formed on August 20, 1920. Players wore pads, not quite as protective as the ones today, helmets and legs pads. Even though their protective gear wasn 't all that protective they still made contact with the players of the opposing teams. As the years progressed the league made many changes to the rules due to player safety. They invented better protective gear for the players and they also made more strict rules regarding playing guidelines. The main goal of those rules, like the targeting rule that is so controversial today, is to protect the players. The targeting rule itself states that no player shall target and initiate contact against an opponent with the crown of his helmet, when in
Football is America’s favorite sport. It is a fast-paced, hard-hitting game. Every week thousands of men and boys all across the country take part in football and every week these men and boys receive violent hits during the game. Frequently, as a result of these violent hits, the player receives a concussion. However, the long-term effects of concussions on players are not fully understood. New research shows that even a slight concussion in a football game can have lasting effects on a player. As a result of this research, children under the age of fourteen should not play tackle football.
Brady, Erik. “Changing the Game on Youth Concussions.” USA Today 26 May 2011, Virginia ed.: 1C. Print.
In the article “Should Kids Play Football” from the Scholastic Scope on February 2015, writer Jennifer Shotz discusses both issues of the benefits and dangers of playing American football. For example, Jennifer Shots mentioned that tens of thousands of young football players get concussions every year. She states that most players return to the game after they are healed but some never return because their concussion was too severe to their health. On the other hand, the writer also discusses how football isn't the only sport that encounters concussions. The rules of football are always changing and each new rule provides a safer way to play the game. For example, the writer notes that Pop Warner has reduced the amount of practice time dedicated
Through sports or through everyday life, concussions tend to happen. An estimated 300 000 sport-related traumatic brain injuries, predominantly concussions, occur annually in the United States. Sports are second only to motor vehicle crashes as the leading cause of traumatic brain injury among people aged 15 to 24 years. (U.S National Library of Medicine). Coaches and parents often do not go through the right procedures or protocols when dealing with a teenager who has received a blow to the head. The usual questions that are asked when there is a head injury are, “what day is it, what’s the score, and how many fingers am I holding up?” Now these are not poor questions, but these questions alone cannot determine if a person has suffered a concussion. The correct method, which they are now implementing in most professional sports leagues, is for anyone with a head injury to take a legitimate concussion test performed by the team doctor. (WebbMD) At present the symptoms can be hit or miss. After receiving a concussion, research shows that an “estimated 80 to 90% of concussions heal spontaneously in the first 7 to 10 days”. (Barton Straus) But, it is important to remember not to return until all symptoms are
In contrast to the positives, high school athletics can be seen in a negative light. “Concussions [from athletics] cause structural brain damage” (Solotaroff 7). Even though nobody is said to get a concussion in Friday Night Lights, they are very frequent in football and in other sports today. They occur all the time in football especially. In addition to that piece of nega...
Even though the devastation of concussions is just rising to the surface, they have always been around. In 1994, the NFL started a committee called the MTBI (Mild Traumatic Brain Injury). Dr. Elliot Pellman was appointed as chair, and he was quoted saying, “We think the issue of knees, of drugs and steroids and drinking is a far greater problem, according to the number of incidents” (Ezell). This quote shows how concussions did not hold much importance, even though it should have been the committee's main focus. This is ironic, because in today’s sport world concussions are a highly talked about topic. They hold such significance that some rules are even being changed to lower the risk for players.
Every sport has its tricks and ways of doing things the right way. You can assure anyone that the sport their child is playing is safe, because there is always a stronger, bigger, faster player than them. Personally, I believe football is a demanding sport that requires a lot of strength, and stamina. If you read the article “Hard Knocks” by Alan Schwarz, it gives a brief story about a young football player. “The autopsy showed that his brain was in the early stage of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, more commonly known as C.T.E.” Many football players die from this condition.
Following behind motor vehicle crashes, traumatic brain injury in sports is the second leading cause of traumatic brain injuries for people fifth-teen to twenty-four years of age. Immense concerns follows given that American football accounts for the highest incidence of concussions (Rowson and Duma 2130). In addition, th...
For years now, football has been one of America’s favorite sports. It allows players to show their toughness, and their ability to get back up when knocked down; it has also given parents a way to get their children outside and exercise. In today’s society, many parents think nothing about it and are seemingly oblivious to the risk they are taking every time their children suit up for a game. The risk lies in both the age at which children start playing, and the sheer physicality that comes with playing tackle football; many children starting the sport at an age as young as five years old. Should children be able to play tackle football? Should they have to wait until they are in middle school or high school? Recently, this has become a very