Concussions in High School Football

High school football, especially in states like Texas, is more than just a fall sport. It brings friends and families together and is ingrained into American lifestyle and culture. Kids begin learning and playing football since they are able to start walking, and by the age of 8, many young boys begin to join flag football leagues. Their love and passion for football grows as they age.

Like any other American kid, I developed a passion for football before I turned into my double digits, watching the NFL every Sunday, religiously. By the time I reached high school, I became so passionate about the game, I started attending our high school’s football games every Friday. During one of these games, my best friend, Marcus, violently collided head-on with his teammate, when going for a normal tackle. He was taken out of the game, diagnosed with a Grade 3 concussion. Marcus described the horrifying moments after the collision. He remembered going unconscious and opening his eyes to find “twinkling stars in the afternoon sky” as he “heard a loud ringing noise in his ears.” As a result, he was raced immediately to the doctor, who recommended him to sit out for a couple of games. As a result of this serious injury, I came to realize that football, especially for young high school kids, can be a very dangerous sport, with concussions being the most common and frequent injury of all.

Concussions and their effects

A concussion is a “traumatic brain injury that is caused by a hard blow or hit to the head that results in the brain to move back and forth rapidly in the skull”(1). It can lead to a functional change in the brain, altering the way it works. Although doctors may describe concussions as mild injuries because they aren't life -threatening, concussions are still dangerous as they can have permanent damage on the brain.

Especially for high school students, getting a concussion is a very serious injury as it can affect mental behavior. According to a Boston University study, “brains of young adults who had only played high-school football showed mild cases of [CTE, chronic traumatic encephalopathy ]”(2). CTE is a degenerative disease, found commonly in football players, that is caused by repeated head trauma and is known for “pronounced changes in behavior, mood, and cognitive function”, which are root causes of “hopelessness, impulsivity, memory loss, and substance abuse.”(2)

By impairing behavior and mood, many high school football players who have suffered from concussions are likely to have problems that are pernicious to a bright future because they are inhibited in major functions such as memory, which is critical for cognitive functions and decision-making skills. Additionally, the players who have suffered concussions are at a higher risk for “…parkinsonism, and eventually progressive dementia,” according to Boston University (2). This means that these players could suffer serious problems when they grow older as not only will it drastically decrease their lifetime, but could also burden them as their life as adults.

In addition to mental damage, concussions also negatively affect one’s grades and performance in school. Danielle Ransom, an assistant professor in neuropsychology at the University of Miami states that high school football players who “had concussions may experience more problems concentrating, keeping up, and paying attention in school”(3). By hindering athletes’ performance in school, concussions prevent high school students from being prepared for the rigor of college.

Nearly a year after that serious concussion, my best friend, Marcus, has still been struggling in school and has watched his GPA dip because he has “a tough time concentrating and focusing in class”. He always tells me that he regrets his decision to return playing football after his second concussion. Marcus says “I never realized that the consequences would be this serious”.

Concussions, although quite prevalent in other levels of football (college and professional), require special and utmost attention in high school because as the Committee on Education and Labor stated , “High school athletes are at greater risk of sports-related concussions than college or professional athletes because their younger brains are more susceptible to injury.”(4).

Because of the susceptibility and impact of concussions, the fear of playing football is growing among American families as already “44 percent of parents with a son under 18 are less likely to let him play football”, according to a 2013 poll by Marist College (9). However, in order to preserve American tradition, it is imperative that solutions are concocted and enacted. Include a brief sentence that will lead into the solutions.

Solutions

Due to the alarming and immense risks that high school football players face, we must prioritize the safety of high school football players. High schools should protect football players from head injuries. They should implement new regulations such as limiting contact in practice, introducing new rules for tackling, and having proper staff available during games.

Limit Contact in Practice

It is absolutely necessary and urged that high schools should take extreme precautions to prevent contact during practice. Dr. Timothy A. McGuine, a Senior Scientist at the University of Wisconsin Madison, explains, “The majority of sports-related concussions sustained in high school football practice occurred during full-contact activities” (5). This is supported by a study conducted by JAMA Pediatrics which conclude that in high school “42 percent of concussions happened during games, with 58 percent during practices” (6). As these studies find , concussions that occur in practice must be dealt with seriously as many high school athletes suffer concussions during this time.

In fact, scientists like Dr. McGuine and his colleagues have already started working on a solution. In 2014, they conducted an experiment on concussions at practice and their findings were revolutionary. They discovered that if practices are scheduled with more non-contact drills and fewer contact drills, the likelihood of concussions during practice would drastically decrease. By implementing a rule in which there would be only 75 minutes of non-contact practice a week, the threat of concussions would diminish greatly. In 2014, when these rules were implemented across 26 schools, concussions occurred at “a rate of 0.57 per 1000 occurrences” with 15 concussions during practice (5) .This is compared to “a rate of 0.87 per 1000 occurrences” with 86 concussions during practice in 2012 and 2013 (5). This drastic decrease in concussions through Dr.McGuine’s experiment highlights the importance of regulations and non-contact practices.

Enforcing new tackling rules

Despite what many people believe, Dr. McGuine added that refining helmets and other equipment would not decrease the amount of concussions. Dr. McGuine who conducted a “previous study on football helmets found that the brand and model did not influence concussion risk”, but rather believes that “concussions are multifactorial. We can’t just limit the amount of force transmitted to the brain and say we’re going to stop these injuries from occurring” (5). This is supported by Casey Erickson, a program coordinator at the Barrow Concussion Network who says “I...don’t think that (helmets) can be made safer to prevent concussions” (10). Based on the research of Dr. McGuine and Casey Erickson, has disproven the idea that helmet technology must evolve. This rather turns our focus towards the rules of the game, rather the equipment and gear.

It is critical that we enforce regulations that will prohibit hits and tackles that are targeted towards a player’s head. As the Committee on Education and Labor suggests “[We should] reevaluate techniques of tackling and blocking [and]…teach and enforce different methods of tackling and blocking that minimize contact to the head.” (4). This is integral to the cause of decreasing concussions as head-to-head contact is the most obvious way that athletes are susceptive to concussions. We should enforce penalties similar to those in college football, where football players who target another player with a very hard and vicious tackle should be reprimanded seriously. For example, in college football, if a player hits an opposing player with a very severe head-to- head tackle, the player would get ejected immediately, however in high school football, this rule does not apply. Therefore, it is very important for players who commit a similar tackle in high school football to be penalized severely. Dr. McGuine supports this idea as he feels that “penalizing players for leading with their head and face” (5). would be very successful in decreasing the number of concussions during games.

Proper Staff on the field

In addition to limiting contact during practice and enforcing new tackling rules, it is very important that there is a trained and certified athletic trainer available. Currently, according to the National Athletic Trainers’ Association, “Only 55 percent of athletes at public secondary schools have access to a full-time athletic trainer”, proving that an immense amount of high schools lack the basic training staff (7). Dr. Lindsey Straus, a co-writer and researcher for the PBS documentary The Smartest Team: Making High School Football Safer, explains the significance of having an athletic trainer. She says that the “presence of an AT [Athletic Trainer] dramatically increases the chances that a concussion will be diagnosed, which is critical to avoiding not only a [lengthier] recovery but the risk of permanent brain damage” (8). Therefore, because many high schools lack the basic athletic personnel to diagnose concussions, many athletes who get injured are at further risk of serious consequences and brain injury. Since concussions are extremely difficult to diagnose, it is necessary that athletic trainers are present. This guarantees the injured player’s safety and the ability for immediate diagnosis, making it less likely for the player to suffer from severe symptoms and to avoid permanent brain damage.

Marcus, now home-schooled, continuously struggles with constant head pain and nausea,and memory problems. Although he takes prescription medicine daily, he is wishes that he had been more careful and cautious about his health. Stories like Marus express the harsh reality and the danger and harm of concussions, particularly to high school football players. Therefore, it is important for parents and coaches to take the aforementioned preventative measures during practices and games. By implementing these safety measures, we can ensure that high school football games can be both safe and entertaining

WORKS CITED

1. "What Is a Concussion?" What Is a Concussion. Accessed November 25, 2017. http://www.biausa.org/concussion/whatisaconcussion.

2. Flanagan, Linda. "How Students' Brains Are in Danger on the Field." The Atlantic. August 14, 2017. Accessed November 25, 2017.

3. Concussions Can Lead to Poor Grades in School." Time. Accessed November 25, 2017. http://time.com/3852458/how-concussions-affect-school-grades/.

4. THE IMPACT OF CONCUSSIONS ON HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETES: THE LOCAL PERSPECTIVE. Accessed November 25, 2017. https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CHRG-111hhrg58137/html/CHRG-111hhrg58137.html

5. December;23(12):27, Neurology Reviews. 2015. "Limiting Full-Contact Practice Reduces Football Concussions." Neurology Reviews. December 13, 2016. Accessed November 25, 2017. http://www.mdedge.com/neurologyreviews/article/104726/traumatic-brain-injury/limiting-full-contact-practice-reduces.

6. Shute, Nancy. "Concussions Can Be More Likely In Practices Than In Games." NPR. May 11, 2015. Accessed November 25, 2017. https://www.npra.org/sections/health-shots/2015/05/04/404163873/concussions-are-most-likely-during-practice-in-high-school-and-college.

7. Svokos, Alexandra. "A Majority Of High Schools Lack Full-Time Athletic Trainers To Keep Kids Safe." The Huffington Post. November 18, 2014. Accessed November 25, 2017. https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/18/high-school-athletic-trainers_n_6146672.html.

8. Straus, JD Lindsey Barton. "Athletic Trainer Plays Critical and Unique Role In Concussion Safety." MomsTeam. Accessed November 25, 2017. http://www.momsteam.com/health-safety/athletic-trainer-plays-key-role-in-concussion-recognition-evaluation-on-sports-sideline.

9. "More parents are reluctant to let kids play football, poll finds." NY Daily News. November 24, 2016. Accessed December 03, 2017. http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/parents-reluctant-kids-play-football-poll-finds-article-1.2885628.

10. "Helmet improvement not perfect solution to concussions | Cronkite News." Cronkite News - Arizona PBS. February 15, 2017. Accessed December 03, 2017. https://cronkitenews.azpbs.org/2016/12/22/helmet-improvement-concussions/.