Precious Minds 1

Precious minds:
The controversy surrounding concussions and youth sports toady
Summer Moore
PED 105
Professor Wilson!o""ins# Ph$D
%pril &# '01&
Precious Minds '
%"stract
(outh sports play an important role in the development of young children in many )ays$
*i+e many other things there are "enefits and there are do)nfalls to some youth sports$
The children learn many s+ills in youth sports that )ill follo) them their )hole
*ives# ho)ever they run the ris+ of receiving a "rain in,ury -concussion. )hen playing
contact sports$ There is a lot of discussion over ,ust ho) dangerous these sports are for
our children$ Society and culture "elieves that playing contact sports ma+es "oys tough
and that a fe) +noc+s in the head do not have any lasting effects$ With the gro)ing
popularity of these contact sports and )ith girls playing them as )ell# there is a
considera"le amount of concern to understand )hat a concussion does to the "rain# ho)
to identify it# treat it# and help prevent it$ The research# discussion# and controversy
surrounding the long term effects of concussions on the se young "rain is on going$
Precious Minds /
Precious Minds:
The controversy surrounding concussions and youth sports today
(outh sports play an important part in the gro)th and development of young
children$ Playing sports as a young child provides children )ith many "enefits#
physically# emotionally# and socially$ There are also some negative effects that can occur
)ith children playing sports$ With the popularity of more contact sports such as foot"all#
soccer# lacrosse# and hoc+ey# more and more children are receiving sport related
concussions$ These concussions may not seem serious# "ut they are and should not "e
ta+en lightly$ There is a )orld)ide controversy# discussion# and de"ate over )eather
receiving multiple concussions as a child )ill effect the 0hilds development into adult
hood or )eather it does not$
0hildren that participate in youth sports are learning at a young age to "e active
and en,oy physical activities$ (outh sports )ill provide them )ith the tools they need to
"uild on for a life time of physical fitness$ % sport teaches children the importance of
team )or+# physical )ell "eing# patience# pro"lem solving# and helps "uild self
confidence$ There has "een a lot of attention in the media a"out retired foot"all players
and$ 1n order to help these precious minds there must "e an understand of )hat a
concussion is# ho) it )or+s# ho) it2s treated# and ho) can youth sports "e safer for our
children$
What is a concussion3 Meehan and 4achur -'005# p$1. 0oncussion is defined as a
comple6 pathophysiological process affecting the "rain# induced "y traumatic
Precious Minds &
"iomechanical forces$ 1t is a type of traumatic "rain in,ury that is caused "y a "ump#
"lo)# or ,olt to the head$ 0oncussions are serious and are not al)ays so easily detected$
The signs of a concussion usually sho) up soon after the incident "ut can )orsen and
"ecome even more prevalent at a al after time$ Signs to loo+ for are )hen an athlete
appears da7ed or stunned# is confused a"out )hat they are supposed to "e doing# forgets
instruction# moves clumsily# and sho)s mood or "ehavior changes-0D0. 1t is also
important to remem"er that concussions can occur )ithout loss of consciousness$
There has "een an increase in the num"er of cases of concussion in youth sports
for multiple reasons$ The popularity of these contact sports had increased over the years
and )ith rene)ed concern8 parents# teachers# and coaches are starting to ta+e notice$ They
are "ecome educated on ho) to o"serve a player after an in,ury# assess# and act
accordingly$ Eighteen percent of head in,uries reported to the 9ational :ead 1n,ury
%ssociation are sustained during athletic competition$ -Meehan# 4achur# '005.
There is great concern over )hat these concussions might "e doing to the "rains
of the players in long run$ There has mi6ed results from research over the years$ With a
lac+ of longterm prospective studies in high school and younger athletes )ho sustained
concussions# there are more ;uestions than ans)ers$ -:alstaed# Walter. %thletes that
sustain multiple concussions over a period of time are higher ris+ for longterm effects$
%thletes )ith / or more concussions are more li+ely to have had# post eventamnesia#
confusion# and / to & a"normal onfield mar+ers of concussion$ Three months after a
concussion# children <1= years of age have "een found to have persistent deficits in
processing comple6 visual stimuli$ Students )ith ' or more concussions )ere tested
Precious Minds 5
students that had ,ust concussed )ithin a previous )ee+ and against students )ith no
history of concussion$ These athletes demonstrated statically significant lo)er gradepint
averages$ -:alstaed# > Walter. These tests along )ith other research is still a )or+ in
progress and much needed funding
1t is important to understand the severity in the assessment and process of
reha"ilitation for these athletes a s )ell$ 0oaches and parents need to ta+e an initial
assessment on the field# chec+ for the symptoms# if the occur# the athlete needs to "e seen
"y physician in the emergency room as soon as possi"le$ There are tests that can "e
administered to the athlete to determine the severity of his in,uries$ 0t is the test of choice
to evaluate for intracranial hemorrhage during the first '& to &< hours after in,ury$
%lstead# > Walter -'010.
The controversy and argument still continues over ,ust ho) much of an impact
these contact sports have on the young "rains of youth athletes$ There has "een some
research to conclude that there are longterm effects on the "rain after a concussion# "ut
nothing conclusive$ 1t remains unclear )hether repetitive head impacts and multiple
concussions sustained in youth lead to longterm ne) rode generative diseases# such as
chronic traumatic encephalopathycommonly +no)n as 0TEand %l7heimer2s disease$
-1nstitute of Medicine# para$5.:o)ever )ith the education of parents# coaches# and
athletes and ne) technological advances and e;uipment# )ill continue to develop safety
for these young precious "rains$
!efrences
Meehan 111# MD# William P$ >4achur# !ichard ?$# MD-'00<.$ Sport!elated
0oncussion$
:alstead# MD# Mar+ E$# > Walter# MD# @evin D$-'010.$ Sport!elated 0oncussion in
0hildren and %dolescents$ Pediatrics Aol$1'= 9o$/# 55B=15$
-'01/.:eads Cp 0oncussion in (outh Sports$ Center for Disease Control. !etrieved
%pril /#'01&http:DD)))$cdc$govDheadsupyouth$html