Have you ever been knocked silly? Maybe you were going for a lay-up, slipped and came down on your head.
Maybe you were playing a friendly game of football with not so friendly competition, so you used your head as a weapon. Afterward, you were dizzy, disoriented and struggled to answer simple questions.
Maybe you experienced memory loss, felt tired or even lost consciousness at some point. These are all symptoms of a concussion. We often hear the term, but what is a real concussion? A concussion occurs as a result of an impact or blow to the head with enough force to shake the brain inside the skull. In addition, it creates a chemical imbalance, membrane dysfunction and other traumas. Although it is often passed off as someone ‘getting their bell rung,’ concussions are significant injuries.
Long-term effects include: impacting how the brain operates connotatively, personality changes and can even result in death. Concussions have always occurred in sports. In recent years, with advances in training and nutrition, athletes are stronger and faster. Collisions and falls are more forceful, which results in concussions occurring with greater frequency.
The 1999 movie classic, “Varsity Blues,” depicts the lives of several young football players experiencing intense pressure from coaches, parents and an overbearing community obsessed with winning.
A significant plot development occurs when character Billy Bob, played by Ron Lester, collapses during a game due to repeated head injuries. In earlier scenes, Billy Bob refuses to sit out of the game because he fears letting down his coach and peers. Although fictional, “Varsity Blues” realistically depicts the win at all cost mentality, which leads players, coaches and parents to minimize these types of injuries.
Sports related concussions are the second leading cause of head injuries among 15-24 year olds, after vehicle accidents. They are medically described as TBI or Traumatic Brain Injuries. TBI occur more frequently at amateur sporting events such as youth recreation, progressing into junior high and high school sports. This is because players are improperly equipped, both in terms of equipment and instruction on proper form, so these types of injuries can be avoided.
The most recent news on concussions generates from the NFL, where the NFL Players Association sued the National Football League on behalf of current and retired players. Many retired players live with the aftermath of repeated head injuries, which often went undiagnosed or ignored. The suit alleges both the NFL and team owners lacked a proper protocol for injured players. Players argued team doctors were clearing players to play who should not have been allowed to enter the game. They argue if a “neutral” doctor would have been used to assess players, many players would not have been allowed to play, which often meant additional injuries to an already injured brain.
As a result of the case, this past season during the New Orleans Saints vs Philadelphia Eagles game, Saints cornerback, Keenan Lewis, diagnosed with a concussion, had his helmet taken away after refusing to leave the sidelines. Lewis proceeded to argue with medical personnel after being escorted out of the game with the injury. This proves the NFL is beginning to take appropriate steps to ensure players’ safety.
Resolving long-term effects from head injuries, however, is still problematic as seen in the case with former NFL great Junior Seau. A retired NFL player, Seau committed suicide in 2012 after a battle with depression. Seau’s brain was donated for scientific research. Scientists discovered Seau’s brain had traces of CTE, Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy caused by multiple concussions and other head injuries.
These head injuries are not only becoming an epidemic in NFL, but also within youth leagues. This has led to the creation of the “Heads Up Program” designed to inform players, coaches and parents on how to prevent, recognize and deal with concussions. It is an online training course that also teaches the consequences of TBI and how to reintroduce players after they have experienced such injuries.
Above all, awareness will decrease athletic injuries, such as concussions. It will also pave the way for appropriate standards in handling injured players and what medical attention is necessary for preventing long term side effects of exchanging health for the love of the game.