Head Trauma In Sports
Many sports fans are aware of the common injuries athletes sustain in their time of play such as concussions, but what many people do not know of are what happens to an athlete after sustaining the head trauma. Diseases like Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis(ALS) and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy(CTE) can affect athletes many years after sustaining concussions and can lead to death. Many sports corporations such as the NFL are taking steps to help prevent further head trauma to their athletes, but many critics are questioning whether the NFL is really doing enough. The question on everyone’s mind is what can the sports corporations do to further help protect players from these deadly diseases?
To fully understand the severity of the situation …show more content…
Athletes are diagnosed on average about 10 years earlier than non-athletes. The main focus of CTE research is on football players. Former NFL players such as Junior Seau, Ken Stabler, and Mike Webster were all found to have had the disease. While the focus of this research is on professional athletes doctors are starting to discover signs of CTE in athletes as young as 17. Nathan Stiles was a senior in high school when he passed away and was diagnosed with early stages of CTE. This is very concerning to parents of children playing contact sports, but it can also be a good thing as many schools and companies are starting to make player safety more of a priority to try to prevent this disease from affecting athletes at younger ages. Other sports have had athletes diagnosed with CTE as well. Former professional baseball player Ryan Freel was the first baseball player to be diagnosed with CTE. Freel played 9 seasons in the MLB and sustained multiple head injuries. He committed suicide in 2012 due to his brain …show more content…
As a spectator of professional football I think the league may be too overprotective at times. The players understand the dangers of the game and they should not have to be scared to hit another player in fear of being fined or suspended. We should let these athletes do their jobs and if they get hurt then the appropriate medical treatments will be provided. Other than that I believe the NFL is doing positive things such as funding for new technologies and neurosurgeons to help protect players and prevent head trauma in
To fully understand the severity of the situation …show more content…
Athletes are diagnosed on average about 10 years earlier than non-athletes. The main focus of CTE research is on football players. Former NFL players such as Junior Seau, Ken Stabler, and Mike Webster were all found to have had the disease. While the focus of this research is on professional athletes doctors are starting to discover signs of CTE in athletes as young as 17. Nathan Stiles was a senior in high school when he passed away and was diagnosed with early stages of CTE. This is very concerning to parents of children playing contact sports, but it can also be a good thing as many schools and companies are starting to make player safety more of a priority to try to prevent this disease from affecting athletes at younger ages. Other sports have had athletes diagnosed with CTE as well. Former professional baseball player Ryan Freel was the first baseball player to be diagnosed with CTE. Freel played 9 seasons in the MLB and sustained multiple head injuries. He committed suicide in 2012 due to his brain …show more content…
As a spectator of professional football I think the league may be too overprotective at times. The players understand the dangers of the game and they should not have to be scared to hit another player in fear of being fined or suspended. We should let these athletes do their jobs and if they get hurt then the appropriate medical treatments will be provided. Other than that I believe the NFL is doing positive things such as funding for new technologies and neurosurgeons to help protect players and prevent head trauma in