Boom. Some 12 year old kid hits the ground after a nasty hit from the 130 pound ‘red striper’ from the next city over. He is a bit slow to get up and seems to be slightly confused on what exactly happened. He is pulled off the football field. What happens next is where society has shifted in the last couple of years. In a time not so long ago, the kid would be told to sit out a couple of plays and when he was ready to play again, to get get back in there. No questions asked. Just a hard hit that they need to shake off.
That is the complete opposite of what we are seeing today. A kid takes a hard hit to the head. They are immediately pulled off the field and a field test for a concussion is given. If he demonstrates any of the signs of a concussion, they won’t see action for the rest of the game. If the symptoms persist, a trip to the doctor is probably in their future in order to confirm the diagnosis. If serious enough, a few weeks of sitting out will probably be necessary in order to make sure they have recovered fully before be allowed to hit the field again.
As you can see, these are two completely different approaches to the same situation and they are only a few years apart. So what has changed in this short period of time? The first thing that has definitely led to a change in the opinion on how concussion like symptoms should be handled is the controversy that has arisen in the NFL. Lawsuits from former players are being filed against their former employer for the misinformation on what kind of risk they were taking with their brains while maintaining an NFL career. They alleged that their was intentional concealing of the dangers of concussions from the players and that it was common practice to rush players back to the field before they had fully recovered from their concussion symptoms. Once the presence of the lawsuits caught fire in the national media, the concussion debate picked up steam and has been a fairly regular topic of conversation ever since.
The article we had the chance to read in class went into great detail on the biochemical reactions post concussion, the techniques used to diagnosis/view the effects of concussion on various brain parts, and possible future directions for concussion research. The article also pointed to the fact that younger, developing brains seem to be affected more greatly by concussions in comparison to adult brains. It happens to be articles like this that are leading to what I like to call Helicopter parenting.
Growing up is supposed to be a formative time, where children have the opportunity to have fun, get into trouble, scuff their knees, play all day long, and not have to worry about some of the larger issues that trouble our world. But due to the arise of these new age parents, helicopter parents, these experiences are being slowly taken away from the kids. Parents today are consistently monitoring and hovering over their children’s actions and are preventing them from stepping any toe across the line they set. When I was growing up, I had one rule: be home when the streetlights turn on. I was allowed to run around the neighborhood with my pals, smack each other with sticks, climb trees, etc. and my parents were just happy that I was having fun. They cared, but understood that I needed the opportunity to grow up and have fun.
So how does that relate to the topic of concussions? Well, it first relates to how sports are handled at the youth level. Kids are being held out of contact sports at higher rate than ever before and it is do to these concussion concerns. Parents are not willing to chance the brains of their children for the opportunity for them to have some fun. Those that do them let play sports like football, hockey, etc., can sometimes be too cautious when it comes to their kid getting hit, and instantly jump to the conclusion of concussion. They think that every hit is concussion-level and hover over the safety of their kid.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I think concussions are a serious issue and the testing that we do for them currently is inadequate, but there is a line. I think to hover over your child and protect them from any sort of harm is only depriving them from the ability to handle challenges as they grow up. You need to allow them to have fun and to get hurt and learn how to deal with it. Communication between kid and parent can help on this front, so the child is aware of the harms and dangers of a concussion, but also to say that it is ok to get beat up here and there, and to not be concerned about every little thing and to have fun. Let kids be kids. Help them out when they need it.
That is all I have to say about that. Feel free to comment and to disagree with what I have to say.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000235494/article/nfl-explayers-agree-to-765m-settlement-in-concussions-suit
Concussions and new-age parenting
