Head Injuries In High School Sports

Football as well as many other sports require a tremendous amount of contact around the area of the head. Forty-Seven percent of all reported sports concussions occur during high school football. Over the years, many head related injuries have become more common while playing high school sports. People used to be careless of head injuries until the numbers of concussions that have been occurring began to raise quickly. Because of this people are starting to take action and becoming more aware of head injuries to try to prevent them. Head injuries may often lead to concussions, which in some cases lead to long-term head trauma. Head injuries are being prevented by trying to reduce head impact in practice, trying to follow the rules, and trying to attempt to strengthen the muscles in the neck. Initially, head injuries are being prevented by coaches limiting the amount of head impact in the practice setting. For example, because of all the head contact that happens in a real football game coaches limit the amount of head contact in practice. With the limits that are set on full-contact sports will
help athletes to not be exposed to such force in the head during practice as they would during games. Too much repetitive contact to the head can help increase the chances of concussions. With the amount of head contact in practice in addition to games isn’t healthy for your head. The brain is a sensitive part of the body which needs to be taken care of. “In 2013, Preliminary High School RIO injury surveillance data suggested that the limits on full-contact practices in Texas had resulted in a statistically significant decrease in concussion rates during practices” (De Lenche, Brooke). Because of limiting the use of full force head blows during practice, the thirty-three percent of concussions that happen in practice have lessened.

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Furthermore, the issue of sports head injuries occurring has become more known by different people.
For instance, different sports organizations have tried to put different rules in the game in order to lessen a number of head injuries that take place on the field. The NFL and many other organizations have altered the rules dealing with impact to the head. Recently, the National Football League has changed one of their rules of head contact; “It is a foul if a runner or tackler initiates forcible contact by delivering a blow with the top/crown of his helmet against an opponent when both players are clearly outside the tackle box” (Marvez, Alex). It is the NFL’s job to protect not only the person that is being tackled but also the person that is doing the act of tackling. Periodically changing the rules of the game is how the NFL is finding ways to prevent head
injuries.
Ultimately, the muscles in an athlete’s neck must be strengthened over the season to help withstand major head injuries. For example, if an athlete is hit from the shoulder up during a game and has weak neck muscles, the head injury is more likely to have a major impact. Different conditioning exercises are important for keeping the erect when taking contact to the head. “Strong neck muscles absorb the kinetic energy of the ball by the head and torso rather than just the head, thus minimizing the acceleration that the head experiences"(Stronger Necks May Reduce Brain Trauma From Soccer Heading, Study Says). Strengthening the muscles in the neck is an important and easy way to help prevent major head injuries. For the most part, there is nothing that can truly prevent head injuries one hundred percent. but there are ways to prevent it. With regulated practices, followed rules, and given the right Harley 3 exercises to strengthen the neck to withstand hits are the steps to showing a decrease of head injuries. With football being the main sport in which head injuries happen most frequently it is important that people are cautious. Sports is what keeps people out of trouble, and it would be tragic to see them taken away because of our lack of prevention. This is why different sports and organizations are working together to try and prevent as many injuries as they can.