We’ve all done it. Bumped our heads against desks and car doors and even windows. We mutter and rub our heads in pain, and later we might get a bump or maybe a bruise and forget the whole thing later.
But for athletes who regularly crush into each other and the ground during practice and games, there is no such thing as a bump on the head. Simply playing the game they love brings the usual risks of broken bones and sprained limbs, but they’re also in danger of suffering from dangerous concussions. But in general, there has to be more awareness of the danger of concussions among sports officials but sports fans as well.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, concussions aren’t life threatening but they can become serious. A non-athlete suffering one concussion throughout his or her life is one thing, but it’s a whole other issue when an athlete suffers several concussions over the course of his or her lifetime.
Recently, University of Michigan coach Brady Hoke came under fire for keeping quarterback Shane Morris on the field after the player took a hit. Morris looked shaken and unstable and later learned that he had suffered a concussion. Hoke said a lack of communication led to his keeping Morris on the field. But this is no excuse given the knowledge of what other football players have suffered due to concussions.
Sean Morey, former Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona Cardinals player, has post-concussion syndrome, a result of suffering dozens of concussions throughout his 10-year career. He takes several prescription medications a day to help with sleep, focus, depression and headaches. His family has also suffered from his bouts of anger. He has said that his concussions have hurt his family and brought him dysfunction, pain, desperation and misery. Because of his experience, Morey has decided his brain will be used for medical research when he dies, and he is a member of the NFL Players Association’s committee on traumatic brain injury.
You don’t have to be a genius to figure out that if you’re bashing your head against other players’ protective gear every game, you’re going to suffer some damage as a result, and players have noticed too. In fact, more than 5,000 retired NFL players are currently suing the NFL for $765 million dollars for the damages and long-term trauma of their head injuries. So many former hockey players have sued the NHL for their concussions that a federal panel announced that these lawsuits would be combined into one.
Thankfully, the NFL has instituted protocols to make sure players are safe on the field; a certified athletic trainer is on call during the game, watching the players to check if anyone may have suffered a concussion. But it’s not just people on the sidelines who should worry about players. Coaches, players and sports administrators all have a stake in preventing concussions and keeping athletes safe, but there has to be a wakeup call. We can’t afford to let athletes waste away in pain in their later years.
Though I’m not the biggest sports fan, I’ve often admired the enthusiasm fans have for games and I’ve gotten caught up in it myself. I don’t believe in the statement, “It’s just a game,” because sports are an integral part of our culture and personal identities, but when it comes to players and the risks they take, the game becomes of secondary importance. More should be done to prevent these injuries as much as possible, even if that means changing playing techniques or benching a star player in the middle of a game. In the end, all these players have is their health and well-being, which are more valuable than winning games and displaying trophies.
