By Cassandra Sedler
Staff Writer
With any sport comes an increased risk for injury.
Nevertheless, the rate of concussions each year seen in football players continues to astonish me. According to CNN, in a single year, millions of sports related concussions will occur, while many others will go undiagnosed. From 2003-2009, the NFL falsely reported that no player had sustained any lasting brain damage from concussions.
Obviously, research has since proven otherwise, showing that chronic brain damage can be found after certain players sustained frequent concussions. You don’t have to be a player in the NFL to suffer from multiple concussions.
I believe this issue has become an epidemic.
If anything, it is due to the increased awareness of the seriousness of concussions. This also includes the potential for lasting brain damage in athletes that has surfaced only within the last few years. The root of the problem lies in the continuous production of football helmets that are not up to date with the newest research available on concussions.
ESU is one of only 12 football programs this year to use the Riddell InSite Impact Response System. This is a helmet with sensor technology that alerts the staff when a player experiences significant impacts, according to the Warriors’ website, esuwarriors.com.
Although this technology is far from preventing concussions entirely, it will help monitor the safety of the players, and allow for a quicker response to injuries on the field.
No matter the cost, this sensor technology should be in place for every player regardless of their level in football. Tracking the impacts of each player will also bring attention to the head injuries that would have otherwise gone unreported by the players to their coaches. As a result, it is not adequately treated by a medical professional.
Injury on the football field will probably never be eradicated. Even so, more knowledge should be known by the public about the potentially grave impacts of concussions on the brain.
The safety of athletes should be of utmost priority in not only football, but also every contact sport.
Email Cassandra at:
csedler@live.esu.edu
