So.... with all the griping and moaning about the new rules and the hints of rules to come, I finally spent several hours researching and reading about rates of concussions in high school and college sports. As a HUG football fan and coach I absolutely love the game of football and all it teaches. My Dad played, my brothers played and my sons play. It is our family pass-time.
However, there is no one with a lick of sense who can argue the data that is out in the world-wide web for all people to read, review and make an informed decision.
By rates as large as 4 TIMES the amounts, football leads all sports in concussions. Even with the 100's of dollars spend in equipment to protect our student-athletes, they suffer concussions in much larger numbers than other sports. No REAL surprise there, but when you look into the numbers a little closer, there are some very interesting results. First, it seems that not only are there more actual concussions in volume number, there is also a much higher PERCENTAGE of players receiving concussions in football. Much more than any other sport, except woman's soccer. Seems they collide and get concussed a LOT in that sport, as well.
So what does this mean? Simple...
It means that when you signed up to play, you realized you were getting into a CONTACT sport. It means that the likelyhood you will get hit hard enough for your brain to slosh around in your skull and cause you to experience a rash of symptoms is VERY GOOD. It means, if you wish to AVOID said-sloshing you should not play. If you don't want your son's brain sloshing around in his skull, don't let him play.
We have $200+ helmets designed to absorb as much of the blow as technology can do. The rest is on you. Take responsibility for YOUR decision to play or not.
No one is making you...
However, there is no one with a lick of sense who can argue the data that is out in the world-wide web for all people to read, review and make an informed decision.
By rates as large as 4 TIMES the amounts, football leads all sports in concussions. Even with the 100's of dollars spend in equipment to protect our student-athletes, they suffer concussions in much larger numbers than other sports. No REAL surprise there, but when you look into the numbers a little closer, there are some very interesting results. First, it seems that not only are there more actual concussions in volume number, there is also a much higher PERCENTAGE of players receiving concussions in football. Much more than any other sport, except woman's soccer. Seems they collide and get concussed a LOT in that sport, as well.
So what does this mean? Simple...
It means that when you signed up to play, you realized you were getting into a CONTACT sport. It means that the likelyhood you will get hit hard enough for your brain to slosh around in your skull and cause you to experience a rash of symptoms is VERY GOOD. It means, if you wish to AVOID said-sloshing you should not play. If you don't want your son's brain sloshing around in his skull, don't let him play.
We have $200+ helmets designed to absorb as much of the blow as technology can do. The rest is on you. Take responsibility for YOUR decision to play or not.
No one is making you...