Concussions In Sports Research Paper

Perils to the Players Soccer is a sport with a rich competitive tradition celebrated by millions of people spread over more than 200 countries on six continents. However, soccer can be very hazardous to the player, professional, or the common fan who picks it up, playing soccer could result in several devastating injuries such as, a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), stress fractures, and concussions, which all have negative effects on a player’s performance. One hazard to soccer players is a risk of a torn anterior cruciate ligament, also called the ACL. The ACL is a ligament that connects the thigh bone to the shin bone. A tear of the ACL is caused by the sudden twisting or jerking motion, like the action of a soccer player sliding
across the field to suddenly strike a ball. Like the actions of famous soccer player Paul Gascoigne, who in 1991 attempted a doom tackle at the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium in London, but failed and ended up tearing his ACL. As a result, Gascoigne had a painful recovery which ended up delaying his transfer to an Italian soccer league. An ACL injury may need to be treated by surgery and physical therapy for the player, and the recovery process can be very lengthy. Players can also run the risk of developing stress fractures on their bones, and inhibiting their ability to play. A stress fracture is caused by a repetitive force striking a bone, like a soccer player’s foot when they make passes, and strike the soccer ball. The stress fracture will require time spent in a walking boot or on crutches as part of the healing process. The healing process is very long, and can take many months to fully heal. Concussions can affect players on the field, and in regular life, and have even have fatal consequences.
A concussion is a serious neurological injury cause by a blunt force to the head. A concussion can cause memory loss, loss of coordination, and can lead to CTE, or chronic traumatic encephalopathy which causes several painful, and debilitating side effects, and will ultimately lead to and early death, when left untreated by a professional doctor. There is no certain recovery length, but it requires lots of rest, and restrictions on activity, there may also be a need to immobilize the head to prevent more trauma to the brain. As concussion are so common in almost all sports, most people don’t give them a second thought to intense recovery, but that could be a fatal mistake. Without proper recovery, the soccer player could end up like Jeff Astle, a famous American player who, in 2002, who died suddenly at the age of 59. Astle was diagnosed posthumously with CTE, which most likely caused his untimely death. Soccer is an amazing and enjoyable sport with great benefits and passionate fans, but also great risks to the player’s health that should be made known. Injuries like ACL tears, stress fractures, and concussions are serious and real risks to player’s health. Not only is it a personal duty of a coach, but also of the players, and even fans to make sure that injuries, no matter how minor they are perceived, are given the proper attention and proper recovery methods to ensure
that soccer stays safe and fun for everyone involved.