Sports and Concussions: An Unfortunate Bond

Photo By: Brian Sewell

We’ve all seen it; an NFL running back get blasted on a helmet-to-helmet hit, or basketball player take a wrong fall before banging their head onto the hardwood. Perhaps one of the biggest flaws of competitive sports in today’s world: the concussion. Concussions are becoming too often occurrences in sports and are constantly overlooked. This is a significant subject because of the long-lasting and sometimes fatal effects that can occur. Of the varied opinions on the topic of concussions in sports, I will discuss how the two academic disciplines of educators/health activists and sports enthusiasts clash while discussing the possible reduction of these fierce head injuries. 

Football has the highest prevalence of concussion, but in similar sports, concussion rates are higher in females than they are in males. A concussion carries symptoms that can often interfere with school, personal relationships, and participation in sports. Cognitive and physical rest as well as neuropsychological testing are widely known as backbones of concussion management before the return to a sport, however, both the cause and prevention techniques are debated heavily between two contrary disciplines. The injury is so common that it often goes unreported by younger and less matured athletes, which is why Health Activists believe that once awareness levels on the causes, symptoms, and long-term effects of concussions are raised, concussion occurrence will fall with it. The opposition to this theory is an approach that is often put forth by sports enthusiasts. This idea is that it’s up to professional sports associations such as the NFL or MLB to protect athletes from the dangers of concussions, through rule changes and medical policies. The article (Miller, Collins 2015) presents an imposing example of the point of view of people in both health and education fields. The authors of this article are considered members of that discipline and claim that with the awareness of the symptoms and long-term effects of concussions, athletes will be in a better position to prevent head injuries and dramatically reduce their chances of suffering a concussion. They believe that instead of rule changes in sports at the high school level and above, education programs are a more effective way to create safer playing fields for athletes, and include the claim that rule changes can possibly increase the instances of concussion.

To further persuade the audience, the authors of the article include examples of efforts that have already taken place such as the one below:

Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, for example, created the phrase, "Don't hit the head. Don't use the head" as a way to extend efforts to cut down on the number of concussions incurred by players from his roster. The Steelers, in partnership with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center's sports medicine and concussion program, launched a campaign to educate young football players on safer tackling techniques. Through the distribution of pamphlets, posters, and other informational material, Tomlin and his team hope to teach amateur players and their coaches how to maintain a desired level of play while reducing the incidence of on-field concussions. (Miller, Collins 2015)

Photo By: Nathan Rupert

Many other coaches around the NFL have started to implement team policies regarding helmet-to-helmet hits, and health activists ensure that a collective effort to educate athletes at all levels in terms of the symptoms and possible long-term effects of repeated head injuries will influence them to practice safer techniques and avoid the dangerous play. Health activists argue against the theory that rule changes are necessary towards limiting concussions. For example, one of the most controversial rule changes in the NFL was moving the kickoff point from the 30 to 35 yard line. This change was supposed to reduce possibilities of concussions on kickoffs, however, kickers in the league started to kick the ball higher, which only gave these fast and strong athletes more time to run at full speed down to the other end of the field. Obviously, this technique could be seen as one that would cause an uptick in injuries.

Sports Enthusiasts can make the fair claim that despite being educated and aware about the symptoms and long-term effects that come with concussions, athletes will ignore any symptoms sustained and continue playing their sport. The article (Castillo, 2015) proves that claim about athletes, of high school football in particular. According to the author, this was the case with about half of high school football players that were surveyed in a study. Along with that statistic, “A little less than half of the students surveyed in a new study also said that they wouldn't report concussion symptoms to their coach. This was in spite of the fact that the majority of the players had knowledge about the serious risk of injuries from playing football from a concussion.” A case can be made here that athletes, particularly of youth, are not responsible enough to take care of their own future, so it should not be left into their own hands.

The claim that professional sports associations should have this responsibility is made in the article (Walter, 2015). The author believes that the NFL, NBA, MLB, etc. should be the ones taking action to help reduce the instances of concussions that are taking place during competitive play. This includes the upgrading of protective gear and equipment, more uniform development of medical diagnostic concussion policies, and more severe penalties for those who take part in dangerous efforts to injure others. The authors best argument is an example regarding MLB Baseball:

In baseball, for instance, a helmet has been developed that can withstand impacts of balls traveling up to 100 miles per hour. Almost all professional pitchers throw at least 85 miles per hour, and most exceed 90 miles per hour with their fastball. However, Major League Baseball, the organization that regulates uniforms and has fined a player for wearing oversized wristbands, has yet to mandate the wearing of this particular helmet. Instead, the current helmet is designed to withstand only a 70-mile-per-hour impact, equating to the speed at which an average high school pitcher might throw. (Walter, 2015)

The claim can seem persuading after reading that example and realizing that a simple task such as upgrading the equipment can serve as a huge benefit to both the athletes and the sport itself. As easy as a simple rule tweak by National Associations may sound, it is believed by many that professional sports don’t see concussions as a major problem that needs to be fathomed. Ted Johnson, a former NFL linebacker, recently sat down on the Damon Amendolara show on CBS Sports Radio and said that the NFL doesn’t view concussions as an issue. Watching professional football and keeping up with news around the league allows you to realize how common concussions have been in the sport, and because of that you can lose sight of the severity of these head injuries. Ted Johnson won multiple Super Bowl titles as a member of the New England Patriots and retired mid-2000s after suffering countless concussions. When asked whether or not the NFL thinks that concussions are a problem, his response was notable: 

Photo By: Anthony May

The biggest impact of making people more aware (of head injuries) is it’s really had an impact on the lower levels,” Johnson said. “Moms, dads, parents are more nervous about their kids playing football because of what they hear about the NFL players and the problems they’re having. That’s where it’s really had the most impact. But the NFL office – and to some degree the NFLPA, the union – it’s not going to be an issue for them because the fans don’t care. ‘Just show me my football. I don’t want to know what’s behind the curtain. I don’t even want to talk about my game being threatened and maybe losing my game because of something like this. Just have my football and I don’t want to worry about it.’ So to answer your question, I don’t think they even look at it as an issue at all. (CBS Sports, 2015)

This is a great example that allows you to look at the big picture from a revenue perspective. Not only does the NFL want to lure in their fans with it’s money-making intensity during games, but NFL players are paid very well and know the risks that come with suiting up on Sunday’s.

Overall, there are strengths and weaknesses on both sides of the debate that may lead you to think that there will never be a way to slow down the instances of concussions in competitive sports at all levels. Sports viewers and athletes across the world have become accustomed to a certain fierceness in sports. Should I allow my child to play dangerous sports? Are my kids going to be able to recover adequately if they were to suffer a concussion? Will they be protected by protocols? These are all questions that parents need to ask themselves when considering allowing their child to compete in sports growing up. At some point, the responsibility of future health and quality of life needs to be weighed in.

Work Cited

Castillo, Michelle. "Most High School Football Players Would Still Play after Concussion." CBSNews. CBS Interactive, 6 May 2013. Web. 30 Nov. 2015.”

"Ted Johnson: 'NFL Doesn't View Concussions As An Issue'"The DA Show CBS Sports Radio. N.p., 5 Oct. 2015. Web. 30 Nov. 2015.”

Walter, Andrew. "Counterpoint: Professional Sports Associations Should Protect Athletes From Concussions." Points Of View: Concussions In Pro Sports (2015): 1. Points of View Reference Center. Web. 4 Dec. 2015.”

Miller, Steve, and Linda Rice Collins. "Point: Increased Education And Awareness Will Reduce Sports-Related Concussions." Points Of View: Concussions In Pro Sports (2015): 1. Points of View Reference Center. Web. 4 Dec. 2015.”