Concussions in Highschool Sports

Hits on the Field are not hits in the Classroom.

"In the last three school years, 400,000 concussions were reported in high school athletics. And this could be a low estimate." (Milan). Concussions serve a major role in high school athletes lives. Much is still unknown about concussions and how they affect the brains of the students who have received one. However, we do know that concussions cause many memory and learning problems to those that suffered from one. Teenage concussions in high school impact a numerous amount of high school athletes to suffer within the classroom on a daily basis, but with the proper safety equipment the number of athletes with concussions will surely go down.

Thousands of high school students reported having a concussion within the last couple of years. Whether it be the athlete suffered from one or multiple concussions, they will still have difficulty paying attention and remembering things in school. "When a student suffers a concussion, serious repercussion can occur both on the field and in the classroom." (Gerard). Most athletes that suffer from a concussion have memory loss, dizziness, or a hard time concentrating. These results impact the athlete's grades, which could then make them ineligible to participate in the sport that they are in. However, many concussions are not caused from head to head collisions. "Many concussions, however, are not caused by violence at all, but occur on legitimate play of the game." (Moore). Learning that concussions are not always caused by head to head collisions, will help to figure out what precautions school can take to stop the making of new concussions. Although many high school athletes suffer from concussions, they can be prevented by purchasing the proper safety equipment.

Providing the correct protective head and body gear could help to prevent high school athletes from suffering from getting injured once more. Purchasing the proper gear would help cushion the blows that the athletes receive. Even though most concussion do not come from head to head collisions, protecting the player's heads would give protection to the proper parts of the head that need the most cushion. Certain parts of the brain are more sensitive than others. Providing the athletes with head gear that makes sure to cover those specific areas will be very beneficial to the demise of concussions in high school athletes. If an athlete has already suffered from a previous concussion, the next blow to his or her body could cause another one. However, the athletes could prevent themselves from having another concussion by wearing the gear. "Athletes who already sustained a previous concussion are more likely to get another." (Gerard). Since the brain is already damaged any slight hit could cause that concussion to worsen. Having the players sit out would give them time to heal and not make their injuries worse. The proper safety equipment will aid in reducing the amount of concussions that high school athletes sustain. By convincing the school boards to buy this new equipment we could get our plan in motion.

In order to purchase the equipment convincing the school board to grant the funds that are needed would be the first step.