The Pros And Cons Of High School Football Injuries
There are approximately 6 million sports related youth injuries per year in the United States alone. High school athletes consist of about 2.5 million of those injuries and an average of 6 high school football players die each year because of the sport they love (Stanford)(Gorman). It is well known that professional football players and even unpaid college football players risk their well being every day to put on a show for the many fans and spectators that enjoy watching people slam their heads into each other at high velocities. However, what is not as well known is the risk of injury and severity of injury is much higher for high school athletes and youth athletes all over America. This raises the question, is youth and high school
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football worth the risk of short term and chronic injuries that might devastate one’s career? Some might argue that football teaches lifelong lessons and provides a plethora of benefits that far outweigh the risk of injury. Others, especially those who don’t enjoy sports as much, can assert their belief that anyone who is willing to risk life and limb for a sport is not in their right mind. Opposed to popular belief that football is not safe for anyone to play especially those with developing minds and bodies, football should not be banned from being played at youth or high school levels.
Football has the stereotype of being the most dangerous of all sports. This stereotype is not necessarily wrong, nevertheless, other sports are not far from being equally dangerous as football. Annually, football has about 64 concussions for every 100,000 games or practices. This seems like a very high number, however, boy’s ice hockey has 54 concussions every 100,000 appearances and girls soccer has 34 concussions every 100,000 appearances (Staropoli). These numbers support the common knowledge that football is the most dangerous sport, even so, it is not the only sport that puts the players health at risk. All sports come with a health risk that can not be entirely averted but additional health precautions can be taken to help prevent injuries.
Most football injuries that occur in youth and high school leagues are due to poor physical shape, improper tackling technique, and continuing to play football immediately after receiving a concussion or other injury. Fortunately, these issues can easily be fixed and further injuries forestalled. Deficient tackling technique is a direct consequence of substandard coaching and a clear sign of an amateur player. To teach any athlete to tackle correctly, quality coaching is required. This means that high school and youth football league administrations need to be thoughtful and take deep consideration of the athletes health when deciding who is fit and sufficient to fulfill all the requirements for the indispensable coaching position. Also, players should be tested on their tackling to prove that they are not endangering any other player in the football league before being allowed to play in a game. If many leagues accomplish this feat, players will learn how to perform a proper tackle thus lowering the number of injured athletes per year. To add to that, a majority of minor injuries that materialize during games develop into severe injuries due to the fact that the athletes continue to play and exacerbate the injury even further. This can be prevented by providing experienced athletic trainers or other health professionals that can identify an injury and send the victim to a hospital or prescribe them a vacation from the sport until they recover (Perkel). These precautions will prevent major injuries and get the athletes back into school and athletics much swifter and safer.
Although high school and youth football administrations have significant roles of keeping the athletes safe, the parents and families of the athletes must contribute towards their well being as well. They can keep them healthy by ensuring that the athletes are fit year round. This discipline can prevent the athletes from experiencing any exhaustion related injuries like pulls and strains. They can also make certain that the football equipment is in proper working order and in good condition to withstand anything that hits it to protect the human being inside of it. These precautionary measures will not only lower the risk of injury by the thousands, but will also make the sport more enjoyable and safer for both the athletes and the fans.
Along with the local safety measures that can be taken to prevent athletic injuries, there are many larger organizations that are squandering no time on making football a safer sport. The National Football League is consistently one of the most highly viewed sporting events in America. Because of this popularity, it draws a profusion of criticism about the safety of the players and whether it is too dangerous to be played. To prevent further disapproval and increase the safety of its players, the National Football League is pouring millions of dollars into discovering new and safer football helmets and gear including a 10 million dollar grant solely to discover improved shock absorbing materials for helmets (Sifferlin). Although money cannot solve everything, it can certainly enhance the safety and well being of football players around the country.
Those money grants have paved the way for a recent advancement in the helmet technology that can put a stop to thousands of head injuries per year. The Seattle based helmet company called VICIS has created the Zero1 helmet to do just that. The Zero1 helmet is a soft helmet that acts like a shock absorber when struck. Opposed to the traditional helmet which has a hard outer shell primarily to prevent skull fractures and head hemorrhages rather than concussions, the new Zero1 technology can do both of those tasks. In fact, the Zero1 can lower the force of which the head collides with any other object by 20-50 percent. Researchers who study the physics of football believe that a 5 percent reduction in force is equivalent to a 40 percent decrease in concussion risk. This translates to a massive 800-2000 percent reduction in concussion risk for those who utilize the Zero1 helmet rather than the traditional helmet. This change can leave a huge impact on the annual number of concussions and ultimately the reduction of other brain diseases like CTE. Although the Zero1 would initially sell at 1500 dollars per helmet, which is about 4 to 5 times more expensive than the helmets currently used in the NFL, with the adoption of these new helmets and increase in productivity the price would eventually drop to where anyone could use those helmets (Stinson). The goal is to make the sport safer. Safer equipment generally starts with the larger leagues, or in this case the NFL, and eventually works its way down the chain until anyone can use it. Thus leading to safer college competitions and then safer high school and youth football.
Despite the ever decreasing risk of injury, football also provides athletes with an abundance of physical and psychological benefits. America has one of the worst obesity epidemics the world has ever seen. People are becoming overweight by the thousands due to awful dieting and a lack of exercise. Football is an easy and fun solution to these difficulties. Most people who are not involved with sports plan to work out and exercise, but quickly fade away from that trend because of a lack of motivation. Football provides kids with coaches to push them forwards and to reach their goals when it comes to lifting weights or even just shedding the weight. Football also provides those kids with a cause to work hard and a reason to go through the pain of fitness by providing them an opportunity to showcase their hard work on the field in front of hundreds of spectators. This simple sport changes the mindset of exercise for many people and taking away this game would remove all motivation to stay strong and fit from millions of youth.
Along with providing the athletes with the motivation to be fit, football uses sound methods that excel weight loss and build fitness as well as creating life long habits that will never cease to benefit the player. Obviously football improves the cardiovascular system through the many drills and exercises that are performed on a daily bases, but it is also a perfect way to lose weight and to build muscle mass. Through quick stop and start intervals, which efficiently burns fat and calories, football is one of the best sports to play to lose weight and to stay fit (Alic). Because of the cardiovascular conditioning, the sport increases longevity and reduces risk of disease including heart disease, osteoporosis, and diabetes (HFR). Not only does football benefit the present physique of the player, but it increases the likelihood of continuing good habits such as dieting and exercise since these are all skills that the player will learn to master during their time playing football.
Other than physical benefits, football equips the athletes with many mental disciplines as well as providing a wealth of social opportunities for the players. Today, many students lack critical disciplines needed to be successful in college and life. Some of which include work ethic, leadership, and teamwork (Health Fitness Revolution). These traits are also desperately needed by this society, which has recently been lacking in many of those areas. Football exercises these attributes as well as many others that can strongly benefit the athletes. Football teaches the players a good work ethic through repetition. Usually, football teams practice a minimum of 4 times per week with a game concluding the work week. This regular schedule that demands so much of the athletes time requires high levels of time management and pushes the players work ethic to the limits. These practices also form bonds between the players that can easily transform into lasting relationships, as well as improving the teamwork and chemistry between the players. Football teaches the kids to work together to accomplish a goal instead of taking on life alone. Since without teamwork, they would win no games, but with a strong team that coordinates well, anything can be accomplished. Another trait that is emphasized through the sport is leadership. Although teamwork is necessary and nothing can be achieved without others, certain leaders must rise out of the group and push the team to the max. Leadership and other skills are developed through football by throwing the athletes into situations where those specific skills are required. Those traits are also built by observing more mature players and coaches in action.
Injuries, especially to the head, make athletes struggle in and even absent for weeks at a time from school.
Even though football appears very beneficial to students, many researches and veteran scientists believe that football takes away more than it can ever give. One of the arguments against youth and high school football is that education should be priority instead of athletics. The superintendent of platteview high school who canceled the remainder of a football season due to excess injuries said “It’s a difficult decision because our players were out there battling hard, but we’re an educational institution, and with our students, safety comes first. These kids have long lives ahead of them, and we need to keep the brains in their heads intact.” Injuries, especially severe ones, have the capability to decimate a student’s academic career. The main goal of any educational institution, particularly high school and below, is to educate the students, not to make them athletic superstars. Too often do academic students waste time in the weight room or practicing football hooked on a fantasy of going big and playing college or even professional football. This fantasy takes up a great deal of the students time that could be spent studying for the next exam or improving themselves academically rather than pursuing a career that rarely comes true. There are currently more than 1 million high school football players, only 6.5 percent of them will play in college and of that, a meager 1.6 percent will be drafted into the NFL (NCAA). Statistically, this figure is not significant. Rather than chasing a dream, students could better use their time academically which generally provides a much more stable income and better livelihood than those who pursue
football.
football worth the risk of short term and chronic injuries that might devastate one’s career? Some might argue that football teaches lifelong lessons and provides a plethora of benefits that far outweigh the risk of injury. Others, especially those who don’t enjoy sports as much, can assert their belief that anyone who is willing to risk life and limb for a sport is not in their right mind. Opposed to popular belief that football is not safe for anyone to play especially those with developing minds and bodies, football should not be banned from being played at youth or high school levels.
Football has the stereotype of being the most dangerous of all sports. This stereotype is not necessarily wrong, nevertheless, other sports are not far from being equally dangerous as football. Annually, football has about 64 concussions for every 100,000 games or practices. This seems like a very high number, however, boy’s ice hockey has 54 concussions every 100,000 appearances and girls soccer has 34 concussions every 100,000 appearances (Staropoli). These numbers support the common knowledge that football is the most dangerous sport, even so, it is not the only sport that puts the players health at risk. All sports come with a health risk that can not be entirely averted but additional health precautions can be taken to help prevent injuries.
Most football injuries that occur in youth and high school leagues are due to poor physical shape, improper tackling technique, and continuing to play football immediately after receiving a concussion or other injury. Fortunately, these issues can easily be fixed and further injuries forestalled. Deficient tackling technique is a direct consequence of substandard coaching and a clear sign of an amateur player. To teach any athlete to tackle correctly, quality coaching is required. This means that high school and youth football league administrations need to be thoughtful and take deep consideration of the athletes health when deciding who is fit and sufficient to fulfill all the requirements for the indispensable coaching position. Also, players should be tested on their tackling to prove that they are not endangering any other player in the football league before being allowed to play in a game. If many leagues accomplish this feat, players will learn how to perform a proper tackle thus lowering the number of injured athletes per year. To add to that, a majority of minor injuries that materialize during games develop into severe injuries due to the fact that the athletes continue to play and exacerbate the injury even further. This can be prevented by providing experienced athletic trainers or other health professionals that can identify an injury and send the victim to a hospital or prescribe them a vacation from the sport until they recover (Perkel). These precautions will prevent major injuries and get the athletes back into school and athletics much swifter and safer.
Although high school and youth football administrations have significant roles of keeping the athletes safe, the parents and families of the athletes must contribute towards their well being as well. They can keep them healthy by ensuring that the athletes are fit year round. This discipline can prevent the athletes from experiencing any exhaustion related injuries like pulls and strains. They can also make certain that the football equipment is in proper working order and in good condition to withstand anything that hits it to protect the human being inside of it. These precautionary measures will not only lower the risk of injury by the thousands, but will also make the sport more enjoyable and safer for both the athletes and the fans.
Along with the local safety measures that can be taken to prevent athletic injuries, there are many larger organizations that are squandering no time on making football a safer sport. The National Football League is consistently one of the most highly viewed sporting events in America. Because of this popularity, it draws a profusion of criticism about the safety of the players and whether it is too dangerous to be played. To prevent further disapproval and increase the safety of its players, the National Football League is pouring millions of dollars into discovering new and safer football helmets and gear including a 10 million dollar grant solely to discover improved shock absorbing materials for helmets (Sifferlin). Although money cannot solve everything, it can certainly enhance the safety and well being of football players around the country.
Those money grants have paved the way for a recent advancement in the helmet technology that can put a stop to thousands of head injuries per year. The Seattle based helmet company called VICIS has created the Zero1 helmet to do just that. The Zero1 helmet is a soft helmet that acts like a shock absorber when struck. Opposed to the traditional helmet which has a hard outer shell primarily to prevent skull fractures and head hemorrhages rather than concussions, the new Zero1 technology can do both of those tasks. In fact, the Zero1 can lower the force of which the head collides with any other object by 20-50 percent. Researchers who study the physics of football believe that a 5 percent reduction in force is equivalent to a 40 percent decrease in concussion risk. This translates to a massive 800-2000 percent reduction in concussion risk for those who utilize the Zero1 helmet rather than the traditional helmet. This change can leave a huge impact on the annual number of concussions and ultimately the reduction of other brain diseases like CTE. Although the Zero1 would initially sell at 1500 dollars per helmet, which is about 4 to 5 times more expensive than the helmets currently used in the NFL, with the adoption of these new helmets and increase in productivity the price would eventually drop to where anyone could use those helmets (Stinson). The goal is to make the sport safer. Safer equipment generally starts with the larger leagues, or in this case the NFL, and eventually works its way down the chain until anyone can use it. Thus leading to safer college competitions and then safer high school and youth football.
Despite the ever decreasing risk of injury, football also provides athletes with an abundance of physical and psychological benefits. America has one of the worst obesity epidemics the world has ever seen. People are becoming overweight by the thousands due to awful dieting and a lack of exercise. Football is an easy and fun solution to these difficulties. Most people who are not involved with sports plan to work out and exercise, but quickly fade away from that trend because of a lack of motivation. Football provides kids with coaches to push them forwards and to reach their goals when it comes to lifting weights or even just shedding the weight. Football also provides those kids with a cause to work hard and a reason to go through the pain of fitness by providing them an opportunity to showcase their hard work on the field in front of hundreds of spectators. This simple sport changes the mindset of exercise for many people and taking away this game would remove all motivation to stay strong and fit from millions of youth.
Along with providing the athletes with the motivation to be fit, football uses sound methods that excel weight loss and build fitness as well as creating life long habits that will never cease to benefit the player. Obviously football improves the cardiovascular system through the many drills and exercises that are performed on a daily bases, but it is also a perfect way to lose weight and to build muscle mass. Through quick stop and start intervals, which efficiently burns fat and calories, football is one of the best sports to play to lose weight and to stay fit (Alic). Because of the cardiovascular conditioning, the sport increases longevity and reduces risk of disease including heart disease, osteoporosis, and diabetes (HFR). Not only does football benefit the present physique of the player, but it increases the likelihood of continuing good habits such as dieting and exercise since these are all skills that the player will learn to master during their time playing football.
Other than physical benefits, football equips the athletes with many mental disciplines as well as providing a wealth of social opportunities for the players. Today, many students lack critical disciplines needed to be successful in college and life. Some of which include work ethic, leadership, and teamwork (Health Fitness Revolution). These traits are also desperately needed by this society, which has recently been lacking in many of those areas. Football exercises these attributes as well as many others that can strongly benefit the athletes. Football teaches the players a good work ethic through repetition. Usually, football teams practice a minimum of 4 times per week with a game concluding the work week. This regular schedule that demands so much of the athletes time requires high levels of time management and pushes the players work ethic to the limits. These practices also form bonds between the players that can easily transform into lasting relationships, as well as improving the teamwork and chemistry between the players. Football teaches the kids to work together to accomplish a goal instead of taking on life alone. Since without teamwork, they would win no games, but with a strong team that coordinates well, anything can be accomplished. Another trait that is emphasized through the sport is leadership. Although teamwork is necessary and nothing can be achieved without others, certain leaders must rise out of the group and push the team to the max. Leadership and other skills are developed through football by throwing the athletes into situations where those specific skills are required. Those traits are also built by observing more mature players and coaches in action.
Injuries, especially to the head, make athletes struggle in and even absent for weeks at a time from school.
Even though football appears very beneficial to students, many researches and veteran scientists believe that football takes away more than it can ever give. One of the arguments against youth and high school football is that education should be priority instead of athletics. The superintendent of platteview high school who canceled the remainder of a football season due to excess injuries said “It’s a difficult decision because our players were out there battling hard, but we’re an educational institution, and with our students, safety comes first. These kids have long lives ahead of them, and we need to keep the brains in their heads intact.” Injuries, especially severe ones, have the capability to decimate a student’s academic career. The main goal of any educational institution, particularly high school and below, is to educate the students, not to make them athletic superstars. Too often do academic students waste time in the weight room or practicing football hooked on a fantasy of going big and playing college or even professional football. This fantasy takes up a great deal of the students time that could be spent studying for the next exam or improving themselves academically rather than pursuing a career that rarely comes true. There are currently more than 1 million high school football players, only 6.5 percent of them will play in college and of that, a meager 1.6 percent will be drafted into the NFL (NCAA). Statistically, this figure is not significant. Rather than chasing a dream, students could better use their time academically which generally provides a much more stable income and better livelihood than those who pursue
football.