http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/22603654/nfl-doctor-says-rising-concussion-numbers-sparks-call-action
Questions:
- How do you think the NFL should respond to the increase in concussions?
- How many concussions are too many for an athlete?
- Do concussions make high school athletes not want to play contact sports.
I think the NFL is doing the right thing when taking safer precautions about concussions. It was shown in the article that there has been a 16 percent rise in concussions in 2017 and the number diagnosed concussed NFL performers has risen from 250 in 2016 to 291 in 2017. I support the thought that the number needs to stop increasing and there should definitely be safer head gear for football players. One concussion can leave detrimental damage both mentally and physically and no one athlete is guaranteed to come back after being concussed for multiple weeks. High school students are absolutely affected by concussions when participating in school and club sports. Many performers are scared of getting back in the game because they do not want to risk getting hit in the head again. Overall, the NFL should surely begin to point out risky plays and warning signs during preseason and work more with football operations on style of play.
ReplyDelete1. I think the NFL needs to make a change in helmet safety for players. There losing so much money off of lawsuits from past players and in rating too. The fact the average lifespan of an American Football player is 53-59 years is scary. It’s causing people to turn off the TV on Sundays and causing people to stop trying out for their high school football team. The NFL needs to either make the game less dangerous through rule changes or needs to make helmets safer somehow (which they have been working on). Unfortunately, many people watch football because they like how violent it is. This would also decrease the viewers. It is a lose lose situation but the NFL needs to find a way to make the game safer.
ReplyDelete2. Athletes shouldn’t have any concussions because it is has a long term effect on their health. I think because athletes are scared of not having a functioning life after football, people will stop playing. Many football players have already retired because they are scared of the repercussions the injuries may have. Also, because of concussions people at young ages are not going to try out. Less players means less competition, less competition means less revenue for the NFL.
3. Undoubtably, concussions make high school athletes not want to play football. There are some contact sports like lacrosse and hockey that have a lower concussion rate, which i think better athletes will start to play. I personally got a concussion in football and was very hesitant on playing the next year. Plus, I personally will not let my kids play football based on the violence of the game.
I think the NFL should respond to concussions by increasing funding towards protecting their players. Like having a specialist on staff to help players diagnose concussions faster and helping them recover, and investing in improved protection for players. I think that anything over two concussions puts the athlete in danger. Every concussion after that drastically increases the risk over time. The person may be ok now, but they are at a higher risk of developing cognitive issues over time. I think concussions defiantly have an effect on kids signing up for contact sports. The way contact sport is structured, it favors harder hits. These hard hits can cause concussions more frequently, and that could potentially be more severe. Although some will stop playing contact sport there will always be people who will still participate. There needs to be more training given to the coaching staff and trainers and players to suppress the rising concussion rates.
ReplyDeleteThe NFL needs to make the helmets used by players safer. At the youth levels the helmets have an outer protection on them that can decrease the risk of head injury. The issue the NFL has with this is that you cant see the well known logo on the helmet. But I feel like it’s a tradeoff the NFL should take to protect its players. I think more than 2 can lead you down a slippery slope. It also depends on the severity of the concussion. You might be at no risk if you have a couple minor concussion, but if you have one that's very severe then really one concussion can be to much. It really depends on how bad the concussion is. I think football players at all levels know what they’re signing up for. It’s like skydiving you sign a waiver saying they’re not liable if you get injured. This is just like football your parents and these kids understand the risk and are willing to risk it. If you really care about concussions you just won't play because concussions and football along with each other.
ReplyDeleteI think that the NFL should definitely make some changes to equipment like helmets in order to try to decrease the amount of concussion that occurs. Concussions are very dangerous and could possibly lead to the end of an athlete's career. I think that around 2 to 3 concussions may be the end of the line for someone's career. I also believe that the degree of the concussion also plays a big role in how many concussions an athlete can sustain. Brain damage is very serious and can lead to things like the case of Aaron Hernandez. I feel like that concussions do have some influence in the decision of high schoolers playing contact sports. People may not want to sustain these injuries and because concussions are very serious.
ReplyDeleteThe NFL must look into more advanced technology for helmets. More research and advanced technology should reduce the amount of concussions, but it is not guaranteed. More rules regarding hits to the head need to be created to help keep the athletes from injuring themselves. I believe that 3 or more is pushing it. Players that get at least 2 concussions should take extra precautions and take a step back from the game until told they are ready to play again. Too much head trauma can lead to more serious things later in life. I don't think that concussions scare high school athletes from playing contact sports. The kids know the risks they are taking by playing the sport. High school athletes think of the positive side of sports than to look at the risks and negativities.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to how the NFL should properly respond to concussions I do not have an answer. It is and forever will be a part of football and really any contact sport. It's a shame that now knowing what we know about concussions and all the negative effects it has on the brain that we can not do very mcuh to prevent it. I think researching better engineered helmets would definetly be a smart start. Then comes the question how many is too many. I believe thats a tough question. There have been cases where the athletes fist head injury was a career ender and then there are some that can go on to have many in their career. I think that the remodificiation of the concussion protocall policy in the NFL was very necessary to ensure that team trainers were not clearing injured players as well as giving them the necessary rest on the IR. I do think that with the recent discoveries on concussions has on highschool athletes. We realize that making it big is a long shot for most and there is a life after sports. Although it might be difficult to an abandon a passion it is necessary to ensure you live a long healthy life.
ReplyDeleteI think the NFL is doing their best to respond to concussions by that 3 step plan they came up with in the meeting. I especially think safer helmets will lead to less concussions in the future. I think the amount of concussions an athlete can have before throwing in the towel depends on the severity of the concussion and the impact it has had on the person both physically and mentally. Once one goes through probably 2-3 intense concussions I would say that the athlete would be in danger continuing to play this sport. I am not that sure about high school athletes but I do think that the increase in concussions make parents not want to sign their little children up for contact sports. No parent wants to see their child suffer especially when it was something they threw their kid into.
ReplyDeleteI think right now the NFL is doing an alright job when it comes to concussions. Anytime a player has a big hit to the head the medical trainers always set up a medical tent to check to see if the player has a concussion. I know this isn't a perfect setup because in this past NFL season Russel Wilson had a nasty hit and went to the tent but came out a play later, the medical staff clearly didn't do there job. I think somewhere between 3-4 is to many concussions for an athlete because I feel if someone has more than 4 concussions, they definitely have something medically wrong. I think any injury may keep highschool athletes from playing contact sports but yes defiantly concussions are one of the major ones.
ReplyDeleteI think that the NFL should be doing everything in their power to address and fix anything that's negatively affecting their athletes. I definitely think they could do a better job trying to prevent it going forwards as well as just being more public about what's going on with the league's overall health. As far as how many concussions is too many for an athlete or NFL player in particular? I'd say one or however many it takes to have any impact on their physical health which with a concussion, I would assume be just one. I can't speak for all high school athletes because I definitely have alot of friends that play contact sports, but that definitely applies to me. No doubt about it, I actively stay away from contact sports because of fear of injury.
ReplyDeleteI think that the NFL definitely has to address the rise in concussions from the 2016 season to the 2017 season. The increase between these years is so large, and while it is partly due to many more players self reporting concussions, it is not something to be taken lightly. While I think the amount of concussions should depend on the severity and symptoms of the concussion, I feel that after three concussions, players should be heavily monitored and regulated for the possible damage that could occur. Concussions are definitely a scary aspect of contact sports and something that a lot of players think about, but I do not necessary think that most boys and girls will drop a sport because of the fear of injury. It is something that most players realize is a risk when they get started in the sport, but it will be interesting to see if there starts to be a decrease in younger kids playing sports like rec soccer and football.
ReplyDeleteThere has been lots of recent chatter about concussions and the main driving factor of those, kickoffs. The AFA which is new "football" league being created is taking out kickoffs due to there danger. Although I do not know if the NFL will implement these rules they are something to be looked at. Some college schools like Dartmouth have made practices non contact so there players don't get head injuries during practice. Some talk about changing the helmet so that players aren't running at each other in big metal helmets and using them as spears. They say if the helmets weren't as big and protective, players would be more wary of their bodies and especially head. Lots of rules are being changed in the NFL as of right now, but fans and players at some point will say they have had enough. There is already lots of talk about having to just let the players play. I believe that concussions are an increasingly growing concern as every year goes on and it is definitely scary for players who think of playing in later years of their lives.
ReplyDeleteI think the NFL should implement new tackling rules so that hits that would cause concussions would be stopped from happening. Obviously people could still tackle people very dangerously even when rules are applied, so maybe they can also have a penalty or fine for tackles that are dangerous and not allowed. I think two or more concussions are too many for an athlete because by playing a sport, no matter what you are at risk of obtaining a concussion, but if you start to get more than one concussion, obviously a bigger issue could unfold. I do think concussions make many high school athletes don't want to play contact sports because concussions are extremely dangerous and no one wants to suffer one, and sports are probably the easiest way to obtain a concussion.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the NFL needs to take the necessary steps in terms of improving helmet safety for players, as well as advocating overall for a more safer approach in order to prevent the number of concussions from increasing as fast as it has been. The NFL is quickly losing lawsuits left and right, as well as turning the industry into one that comes off dangerous to some viewers. Beyond all of this, I think the NFL should use their platform to promote and push for looking out for early warning signs of concussions/aggressive plays especially during preseason.
ReplyDeleteSeperately from all this, I believe that an athlete should not have even a single concussion. Just one concussion can drastically impact an athlete mentally and physically, and potentially can cause some to not wish to play in order to avoid injuries. If we continue to go down this road and more and more people become fearful of the game, we are soon to have less and less players and soon, a dying industry. Concussions, depending on the severity, have the potential to be deadly - and that is something we cannot ignore.
Although many high school athletes have a love for contact sports and dedicate a lot of their lives to practicing as well as to the team itself, I do believe that concussions make high school athletes not want to play contact sports. When you originally sign up for a sport, you recognize the risks of playing, but many naively think that it will never happen to them. At the end of the day, most value life over a high school sport and therefore after suffering an injury, some athletes do not return.
I think that the NFL could respond to the increase in concussions with improving the concussion protocol, and an improvement in equipment in the helmets to help better the prevention of head injuries and head trauma. It's not assured how many are too many concussions but I think personally after possibly three or four concussions would be a large workload on an athlete and they should consider taking a break to let their brain heal due to the fact that although concussions don't last as long but they could have a potential long term affect on an athlete. Lastly on high school athletes not wanting to play contact sports due to concussions would be determined on their knowledge of CTE. It also would be decided depending on the athlete themselves.
ReplyDeleteThe NFL should begin to fine players who are faulted with causing the concussions. The NFL must make rules stricter so that people will not develop CTE. Players who are diagnosed with concussions should be removed from the game and not allowed to play for at least one game. Helmets should also be changed, because athletes will not be as aggressive if they do not have something protecting their head as much. Any amount of concussions is too many. Although not likely, even one concussion can lead up to brain damage and CTE. A normal athlete can sustain a few concussions, but it is up to the athlete and how they value their health to decide when they will stop playing their sport. High school players will definitely be less willing to play in high school, because they will not want to put themselves at risk of getting injuries that will also affect them later in life. If I were to get multiple concussions from a sport, I would absolutely stop playing and move on to bigger and better things in life.
ReplyDeleteI think the NFL needs to do more research into concussions and find out more about them. They defiantly need to make the sport safer in some way. If thats increasing the safety with the helmets or getting rid of the helmets. Every year the number of concussions is increasing and CTE is a increasing concern. I don't think is the number of concussions an athlete gets, its the athlete is going back to the sport to early. Researchers do not know enough about concussions and need to do more to learn more about it. I think athletes should not go back to the sport if they have more then 5 concussions. I don't think athletes are going to stop playing the sport because they got a concussion, they think its just part of the sport. Its an injury to them, if you got a broken hand that doesn't stop you from playing your sport. Yes, concussions is a worse injury then breaking your hand but they are both injury's. For some kids if their parents are tricked about concussions then they might pull them after one concussion.
ReplyDeleteThe NFL should be doing everything they can to reduce the number of concussions in the league. It's unbelievable how Rodger Goodell continuously sweeps this issue under the rug and everyone seems to shrug it off. The NFL should be researching new helmet types, and adapting new rules to try and prevent this. I believe that one concussion is one too many. Although sometimes they are inevitable in the sport, the athlete should be given a decent amount of time to recover. Returning to the sport to early make them more than vulnerable for another head injury. The recent reports that have come out could alter some high school students minds about playing contact sports. Until the game of football can adapt new ways to prevent head injury, I would refrain from playing the sport.
ReplyDeleteThe NFL needs to respond to the increase in concussions by being more strict in regards to the timetable for return. In doing this, it enables the athletes' brain to recover. Along with this, the amount of concussions a player has received must be taken into account when diagnosing a head injury. In order to achieve the best treatment, the specific number of concussions an individual has had is not as important as the severity of the head injury that the athlete has received in the past. For example, one major concussion may cause more long term harm than several small ones. Given the severity and frequency of these injuries, high school athletes are certainly steered away from contact sports either by parents, friends, society, etc.
ReplyDeleteWow I hate concussions. They’re jut so unfair because people love football and the players obviously love playing the game, too. It’s just so hard to eliminate them. The game needs to be made more safe, but part of the thrill of football is its big hits and thrilling tackles. So the problem is built into the game. So after watching the video and reading the article, I am really excited about the uptick in the concussion numer because it seems to me that the self-reporting is a great thing. It shows that people care about themselves and their health – and that they are feeling safe about saying they are hurt and feeling safe about not losing their job because of the report.
ReplyDeleteThe training camp injuries are scary though. That seems to be a kind of Wild West right now that the NFL needs to get a grip on People are showing off in order to get a job and that is obviously leading to big trouble.
We are really afraid for my brother who is down at IMG playing football in high school. We don’t want him getting hurt, but he really loves the game and basically lives to play it. If I was my mom I’d say no to his playing. I saw the video of Chris Coyne, who played at Staples and got a bad concussion at Yale. That is truly scary stuff. I don’t think anything is worth brain damage. I think 2 concussions that are large enough to miss games and school over are enough. If you’re out of action for a long time with each then that’s just too much. I think risking a third is just too reckless.
I think most high school students still feel invincible. I know an old Staples quarterback that had many head injuries and he acted as if they were nothing even though he missed a lot of school. I don’t see him anymore so I’m not sure how college is going, but that’s just too scary. Most people saw things like “you can get concussions in soccer” or something like that. I get that that is true, but some games are just seemingly built for head injuries. I don’t want to stop people from playing. I saw something in the news that said the Ivy League schools should give up football to set the precendent that the sport is not worth it, but that’s not my call. I just want people who play it to be realistic with themselves and not to sacrifice themselves for a game.
I feel that the NFL needs to take concussions more seriously.
ReplyDeleteI think there needs to be responding to the raise in concussions by increasing funding towards protecting their players. Weather this be through more protective or safer gear or a change in the rules to the game, this cannot be ignored. When players get over two concussions it puts the athlete in danger, for very serious issues. Every concussion the athlete receives after that drastically increases the risk of brain damage over time. I think concussions have major cognitive effect on kids, including those who decide to sign up for contact sports. Contact sports are played in a way that favors harder hits and higher player to player contact. Due to the way the game is structured, this leaves players with higher chances of concussions and other related brain injuries that can cause very serious damage down the line.