Athletics and Concussions: Out With the Old and In With the New

Concussions within the athletic realm have certainly been a hot topic the past few years. The NFL, without a doubt, is the case study that we as a society have used as a lens to view this concern. With new rules, enhanced awareness, and severe penalties this organization has began to lay some groundwork to the knowledge that has become known about head injuries. Also, in Minnesota, the Minnesota State High School League has made similar awareness gains even in the short time since I graduated from high school. The impact that a head injury can do to an athlete cannot be understated. Athletes are continually putting their well being at risk to participate in the sport that they love. The questions that remain are… Is participating in athletics worth it? And, what can we do to address this issue?
To address the above questions, I will start with a few of my personal convictions… To start off, I believe that participating in athletics is own of the most enriching contributors to the character of an individual. In a sense, athletics give our first sense of what life is really about, that nothing is easily handed to you. If you put hard work in, you are bound to get out some results. Now I am certainly not advocating that if you work hard enough a state championship is heading your way, but rather that no matter what genetic predisposition you may be in, your desire to improve leads to hard work, and if you do indeed to choose to work hard, then lasting life lessons can be obtained. Our competitive nature is something that needs to be cherished. It is a driving factor to the advancements we make within our society.
Secondly, I will address some observations I have made about this issue throughout my athletic career. I believe that I was well informed of the dangers of a head injury. I believe my coaches, trainers, and family informed me of the severe impact that a concussion could have on my well-being. (To establish some credibility, I also participated in wrestling and football at the state and national levels, so I was indeed putting myself at risk when competing.) In the same light, I also witnessed some words said by coaches that infuriate me to no end. Things like… “As long as you don’t throw up you’re fine,” “You’re going to have to suck it up,” “Remember that the IMPACT test is to establish a baseline score, not to get every single answer correct, so there is no need to take you’re time,” to name a few. Now I don’t feel that these coaches don’t care about their athletes but I think it is more of a result of a generational gap. I believe that my parent’s generation grew up with a “rub some dirt on it,” mentality when it came to injuries. With limited knowledge about the severity of head injuries they also were treated medically as such. They were not nearly as educated about the subject, and, in turn, coach with that mentality. This conviction is one that clearly needs to be thrown out the window. We (I’m including myself because one day I hope to coach my own children) are ethically obligated to inform our athletes about the impact a concussion could have on their lives. I believe that we have taken the elementary steps to rid of the “toughen up” mentality and replace it with the “smart” mentality.
The fact of the matter is, we as a society will always be competing in athletics. It is in our nature to put ourselves (whether it be physically or mentally) on the line with an intention to succeed. I believe that continue enforcement, advanced awareness, and proper medical advice are how we need to address the issue of concussions. If an athlete sustains a concussion, the reality needs to be brought forward and from there the athlete can make his/her decision. I also believe that it is completely worth it. Competing in athletics has had a profound impact on the individual that I am today. Life lessons that are hard to come by can be obtained through the hard work we put into our sports and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.