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Concussions in Sports

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Concussions in Sports
Concussions occur all too often in hockey and football. Our knowledge of concussions and its long-term effects has increased tremendously over the past ten plus years. Statistics show that concussions occur most in football and hockey. Over the years the mentality about concussions has changed and it’s taken very seriously. The protective equipment has gotten a lot better over the years. The long-term effects are just starting to be known. The statistics of this condition makes you realize how dangerous hockey and football can be. There has been many studies done at all levels of hockey and football and they show that younger athletes have a higher rate of concussions. The highest rates occur in late teens. Representatives from the N.H.L have met with people all the way through youth hockey and they have funded studies conducted by Dr. Carolyn Emery of the University of Calgary.
There was one done on a youth hockey league in a Canadian province. Kids in the league are allowed to check at the age of eleven and twelve. They found that “among the 9,000 players of that age in the province, an estimated 700 concussions occur each season” (AANS). Seventeen players suffered twenty-one concussions total during the study. Eighty eight percent of players admitted to having at least one previous concussion. These statistics show that once you suffer a concussion the chances of suffering another greatly increase. Like the N.H.L The N.F.L has devoted a lot of time and money into concussion research, “a study from the National Center for Injury Prevention found that 47% of high school football players say they suffer a concussion each season, with 35% of those reporting multiple concussions in a season”(Carr).
We have learned a lot about concussions in the past decade but it is nothing compared to how much we still do not know. Concussions are tricky and some people are more prone to them, Sometimes you may not even notice and sometimes you can get hit very hard with head


Cited: American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS). "Junior Ice Hockey Study Uncovers Alarming Concussion Rates." ScienceDaily. Science Daily, 5 Nov. 2010. Web. 20 Nov. 2012. <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101105153213.htm>. Associated Press. "Goodell Says NFL Committed to Safety." SI.com. Sports Illustrated, 15 Nov. 2012. Web. 20 Nov. 2012. <http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/football/nfl/11/15/goodell-safety.ap/index.html>. Carr, Jennifer. "Hard Knocks: The Science Of Concussions." BrainFacts.org. Brain Facts, 3 Oct. 2012. Web. 20 Nov. 2012. <http://www.brainfacts.org/Diseases-Disorders/Injury/Articles/2012/Hard-Knocks-The-Science-of-Concussions.aspx>. Collar, Matthew. "Chris Henry Findings Add New Chapter to Head Injuries Issue." Chris Henry Findings Add New Chapter to Head Injuries Issue. (2010): 1. Web. 1 Dec. 2012. Shaw, Gina. "Football Players and Concussions: Statistics, Prevention, Effects, and More. "WebMD. WebMD, 15 Mar. 2011. Web. 01 Dec. 2012. <http://www.webmd.com/fitness -exercise/features/football-player-concussions>. Burnside, Scott. "Marc Savard 's Life Still unsettled." ESPN. ESPN Internet Ventures, 21 Jan. 2012. Web. 01 Dec. 2012. <http://espn.go.com/nhl/story/_/id/7487217/boston-bruins -marc-savard-dealing-concussion-issues>. "Real Analytics." Real Analytics. Real Analytics, 4 Nov. 2010. Web. 01 Dec. 2012. <http://realanalytics.wordpress.com/2010/11/04/football-concussion-statistics/>. Moore, William. Personal interview, 21 Nov.2012
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