Josh Powers

Effective Writing
Galloway
Rough Draft 5

Concussions in Athletics
Many athletes encounter brain-jarring hits that can cause headaches
that can last up to weeks these long headaches are called concussions.
Concussions awareness is rising among many athletes because of the long
term effects of the brain and human body. Many athletes are willing to
sacrifice and put their bodies at risk for their sport which is why concussion
rates are rising (Anderson). A concussion is no longer just a bad headache,
but is a serious brain condition that cannot be taken lightly. A concussion is
most commonly known as a Traumatic Brain Injury or TBI (Injury).
Concussions have many dangerous short and long term side effects, they
occur most frequently in athletics, and the awareness and prevention
techniques have improved greatly over the last few years.
A concussion cannot be taken lightly anymore because of recent
research and studies that have been conducted. The more research that is
done the more side effects that seem to surface. Concussions occur when
the brain is suddenly impacted and causes the brain to contact the skull
(Injury). This means when the brain is jarred and smacks against the skull
a concussion is likely to occur. Short term and long term differences caused

by a hard hit that can signify a concussion include changes in the thought
process, senses, language, and emotions of the affected person (Injury). A
person with a concussion may tend to be sadder, drowsy or act unlike their
normal selves. Short term side effects can include headaches, slurred
speech, dizziness, and nausea to name a few (Injury). These side effects
can last from a few days to more than a couple weeks. Long term side effects
are taken more seriously because the more concussions that are experienced
can lead to an increased risk for brain disorders that occur with older age.
These disorders include Alzheimers disease, Parkinsons disease and even
epilepsy (Injury). The more concussions that occur frequently can increase
the risk of experiencing one of these diseases earlier than expected.
Most often concussions occur in sports such as bicycling, football,
basketball, soccer, and hockey. For example, football requires a lot of hitting
which can involve accidental jolt to the brain. High school football alone
represented the highest rate for concussions at 55,007 and high school girls
soccer was second with an estimated 29,167 concussions (Injury). Not all
hits to the head though will result in a concussion and not all concussions
occur in sports. They can occur just from a fall on a playground or from
something as traumatic as a car accident. Recognizing a concussion is
serious and can save someones life. Symptoms include changes in the
persons behavior, thinking, and physical function. Every year emergency
departments encounter approximately 173,285 recreation or athletic related
brain injuries including concussions (Injury) but there are roughly between

1.6 and 3.8 million concussions that occur in athletics every year that the
emergency department may not see (Burnsed). Over the last decade the
frequency of emergency department visit because of concussions increased
by sixty percent (Injury). Thus the reason more research is done every day
to help prevent concussions from occurring.
Awareness and prevention of concussions has increased dramatically
after recent research. Now before an athlete is eligible for the first practice
they have to take a Sport Concussion Assessment Tool or SCAT. This
establishes a baseline score so in the event of a concussion they have a
previous score when the athlete was not concussed to go by (Long2013). An
example of how researchers are trying to prevent concussions can be seen in
the National Football League. New rules have been initiated preventing hits
to the head and better equipment has been manufactured to reduce the
shock to the brain. The new policy states that once an athlete is pulled out
of a completion or practice the athlete is not to return to anything related to
football till they are fully asymptotic when they are at rest and after
exertion (New). The policy also states that the athlete has to be cleared
by the team physicians and a neurological consultant (New). At the college
and high school levels, athletes and coaches have to sit through a
presentation about concussions to hopefully help make them more aware of
how concussions occur and the side effects of them. Through a program
created by Center for Disease Control called Heads Up works to raise the
awareness of concussions (Injury). Heads up has improved prevention

methods, recognition and response time among many people that may
encounter a concussion such as health care and school professionals,
parents, coaches, children and adolescents (Injury).
Concussion cannot be taken too seriously because of the severity of
the consequences and the dangers of their health. Because of the dangers
of concussions researchers are making every effort to educate people and
reduce the frequency or even prevent concussions from ever occurring.
Short term and long term side effects are very dangerous and can result in
diseases that normally show up with old age but are showing up earlier in
life. With all the research that has been done in the last few years more and
more people are aware of the dangers of concussions. Preventative methods
are being introduced in to athletics through programs that are working to
make sports safer for everyone.

Bibliography

Anderson E, Kian E. 2012. Examining Media Contestation of Masculinity and Head Trauma in
the National Football League. Men & Masculinities (**Edition**) [Internet]. [2012 Apr, cited
2013 Oct 1] Vol. 15 issue 2 p.152-173. Available from: http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?
vid=5&sid=57f6568a-fff2-4d7c-b5dbBurnsed B. 2013 Jul 19. NCAA funds study examining the long-term effects of concussions in
sports [Internet]. First Edition. Indianapolis (In):NCAA; [2013 Jun 4, cited 2013 Oct 3] .
Available from:
http://www.ncaa.org/wps/wcm/connect/public/ncaa/ssi/medical+conditions/concussion+landing+
page
Injury Prevention & Control: Traumatic Brain Injury [Internet]. 2013 Mar 13. First Edition.
Atlanta(Ga):Center for Disease Control and Prevention; [2013 Jul 22, cited 2013 Oct 4] .
Available from: http://www.cdc.gov/concussion/sports/index.html
(Long 2013)
New NFL Concussion Rules Take Effect [Internet]. 2011 Jan 31. first edition. New
York(NY):CBS News; [2013, cited 2013 Oct 3] . Available from:
http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-500290_162-5875227.html