Tag Archives: concussion

Perhaps it was just a matter of time—with over $750 million committed by the NFL to settle a lawsuit from over 400 players.  Now, three former college football players are suing the NCAA, saying it failed to educate them about the risks of concussions and didn't do enough to prevent, diagnose, and treat brain injuries.

The players who filed the class-action suit in federal court in Chattanooga are Chris Walker and Ben Martin, who recently played for Tennessee, and Dan Ahern, who played for North Carolina State in the 70’s.

The complaint alleges that the NCAA failed to meet its obligation to former players and that because of its neglect the players are suffering the consequences. While details are still in short supply, the suit asks for a medical monitoring program for former football players, to be funded by the NCAA.

A question yet to be answered is why the NCAA was targeted in the suit, but not the players’ respective universities, which may have had more direct knowledge of the players’ health and injuries.

Beyond that, if these players successfully execute suits involving the NCAA, their universities, their athletic departments, their trainers, and/or their coaches, then what is next?  Former high school players, middle school players, even youth players in the city leagues?  And who will be the target —schools, trainers, coaches, even city governments and school boards?

The NFL settlement was certainly the first major step in addressing some of the issues faced by the various participants in this complex subject. Where the next foot will fall will likely become apparent in the near future.

*Scientists have no conclusive evidence as to whether or how the reduction of g forces during impacts reduces the number or degree of concussions and head injuries. GelDefender^TM products provide supplemental padding as well as cooling and comfort benefits when used with helmets and caps. Participants in activities in which head impacts can occur should always use tested and approved helmets for protection. However, no helmet or supplemental padding can protect the user from all serious head or neck injuries that can result from impacts.

Women’s winter sports have made substantial strides since the advent of the X GAMES. According to a survey performed on a random sampling of professional snowboarders and skiers, women say they prefer to perform the exact same course runs as men. However, when the same question was phrased to shift the focus onto quantitative measures, the results took a completely different shape. Over 60% of women preferred 50-60 foot jumps, while men, on average, preferred jumps between 70 and 80 feet.

Professional skier Kristi Leskinen initiated the survey. She was curious if there was a direct correlation between women’s injuries and women’s progression in the sport. The survey indicated that while women wanted to make the same range jumps, they were reporting injuries at a frequency 3.5 times as often as men. This suggests that longer jumps could be more dangerous for women. Of course, other factors such as men’s failing to report injuries as often or their underreporting their injuries on the survey could skew this number. A more standardized study could result in much closer numbers.

Changing the jumps for women would be viewed as a setback to women’s progress in extreme sports more than a way to prevent injuries, but the length of the jump shouldn’t be the most important thing. An athlete’s comfort level with performing these tricks at the specific jump range should be the critical issue. When X GAMES administrators suggested the change, there was a huge backlash from pro women’s skiers and snowboarders. Progress in any sport comes with growing pains, regardless of an athlete’s gender.

*Scientists have no conclusive evidence as to whether or how the reduction of g forces during impacts reduces the number or degree of concussions and head injuries. GelDefender^TM products provide supplemental padding as well as cooling and comfort benefits when used with helmets and caps. Participants in activities in which head impacts can occur should always use tested and approved helmets for protection. However, no helmet or supplemental padding can protect the user from all serious head or neck injuries that can result from impacts.

In a recent article, a Texas coach stressed that concussions are occurring more often as a result of the public’s lack of education regarding head injuries. Many people already know that concussions occur most often as a result of severe collisions. However, an often-overlooked truth about head injuries is that they're not always caused by person-to-person collisions. The sport that reported the second highest number of concussions was girl's soccer, caused by repeatedly heading the ball and colliding with the goalpost.

According to Kenneth Locker, manager of sports marketing for Texas Health Resources, these sub-concussive hits are dangerous because players (especially in youth sports) are often not removed from games afterward. Youth players who continue to play in a daze are actually at incredibly high risk for even more serious brain injuries.

Locker also points out that it takes younger players much longer to recover than adults. So, if the games are not properly spaced out, athletes can be put in precarious positions. Even if they sit out an entire the game, they might not be prepared to play the next, but most coaches play them anyway. Mishaps like this could hinder players for the rest of their careers.

Teach your children (or your youth players and coaches) to learn about recognizing sub-concussive symptoms. And take time to implement complete sideline tests for medical staff. Protect your players and your communities with information that can help them enjoy the game without being subject to its negative effects.

*Scientists have no conclusive evidence as to whether or how the reduction of g forces during impacts reduces the number or degree of concussions and head injuries. GelDefender^TM products provide supplemental padding as well as cooling and comfort benefits when used with helmets and caps. Participants in activities in which head impacts can occur should always use tested and approved helmets for protection. However, no helmet or supplemental padding can protect the user from all serious head or neck injuries that can result from impacts.

A plethora of eye-opening and astonishing stories in the sports world have arisen, as of late. Evidence has been brought to light that the NFL knew about the debilitating effects of repeated blows to the head when Commissioner Roger Goodell testified to Congress in 2009. Goodell said then that the NFL reported no ill-effects of head injury but were in fact quietly paying 3 former players disability benefits. Reports from independent doctors verify that the individual players were disabled from impacts sustained while active. Moving forward the NFL will undoubtedly have to take ownership in the issue of its players’ safety.

In a related story, the San Fransisco 49ers and Chicago Bears played one another last night, each without their starting quarterbacks. (The 49ers won 32-7 partially due to their sub quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s excellent performance.) This game marked a rare yet somber occasion, one of the few times in history that two teams have squared off against each other using backup quarterbacks due to concussion disabilities. This points to a new, dangerous era in football, and sports in general.

In U.S. soccer news, the L.A. Galaxy and the Houston Dynamo will square off in a rematch of last year’s MLS cup on Dec. 1. The Houston Dynamo has been soccer’s Cinderella story this year, barely staving off defeat to sneak into the playoff bracket. Popular opinion is that the Galaxy will walk away with the hardware this year, but that is up for debate. It will definitely be a match to remember.

The NCAA recently made a substantial change to the structure of the Big Ten Conference, which has been slowly inviting and accepting more competitive teams than in the past. Welcome Maryland, the newest member of the Big Ten. As viewership has dwindled as of late, there have been many attempts to shake up the league. This will bring about quick change and bring in Maryland football fans.

*Scientists have no conclusive evidence as to whether or how the reduction of g forces during impacts reduces the number or degree of concussions and head injuries. GelDefender^TM products provide supplemental padding as well as cooling and comfort benefits when used with helmets and caps. Participants in activities in which head impacts can occur should always use tested and approved helmets for protection. However, no helmet or supplemental padding can protect the user from all serious head or neck injuries that can result from impacts.