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Concussions are one of the worst injuries that the body can sustain. Repeated

occasions of concussions might not have an serious impact on your present day life, but

in the long run it could cost you to have such symptoms as memory loss, impaired

judgment, impulse control problems, parkinsonism, and, eventually, progressive

aggression, depression, suicidality, and dementia. This can cause a disease called CTE

which stands for Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy.(Concussion Facts | Sports

Concussion Institute) Many deceased football players and other professional athletes have

been diagnosed with CTE after their brain was examined by the man who discovered the

disease. Dr. Bennet Omalu. This finding was very important and serious. The doctor tried

to bring it to the light of the NFL but they did all they could to cover up the discovery,

and that's when lawsuits had got involved The increase of concussions in sports has

had a profound effect on athletes and should be further evaluated for safety and

scientific research.

Too many kids and athletes will seriously regret the long term effects

concussions have on your brain. They need to be fully aware of the safety they need to

take if continuing in a sport. The NFL is a prime example of the effects. Most retired NFL

football stars continue to pursue legal action. In January 2013, the National Institutes of

Health Concluded that the former NFL linebacker Junior Seau, who committed suicide in

May 2012, had been suffering from a degenerative brain disease. (CBSnews) This could

honestly explain all of the outrageous behaviors by NFL athletes. We need to do more to

prevent the dangers of receiving the effects of this disease, make it more aware to the

people of sports, the longer the world thinks concussions is just a normal injury to shake

off the worse athletes will become ahead of time. When a concussion occurs your brain
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shakes from side to side causing shearing and straining of brain tissue. Age is something

to also consider when dealing with concussions. Studies have shown the younger you are

the more it takes to recover from the concussion the greater severity of symptoms and

more neurological disturbances. Having concussions from the time of high school, till

when youre about 30-40 years old is most definitely not good for you.

Other people would say no concussion rates arent affecting youth athletes as they

would think, they say the sport(s) is just for the kids having a great time, and yes we have

equipment to help prevent concussions like helmets with cushions, there are many more

worst injuries in high school than just concussions, but to fix that you just give them a lot

of rest, but in the meanwhile every time they have a concussion it will add on to the

damage of the brain that will soon cause the symptoms of depression, suicidal thoughts,

dementia and much more. 49 States have took on this incident in the past 5 years.( Bob

Cook, August 23, 2103) The return-to-play law have been placed in effect, this law states

that the athletes who endures a concussion should have a certain amount time before

being put back into the game or play or another one. This should prevent the long term

brain damage, but these laws are just the first steps. Concussions have become more

serious to people as we researched the dangers if it.

The determinant of sports related concussions is that if you have one concussion

you are most likely to have 1-2 more. If they had 2 concussions they are 2-4 more times,

third; 3-9 more times likely to have a concussion. Some studies have shown that females

are more likely than their male counterparts to sustain a concussion, and they tend to have
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more symptoms and require more time to recover. Various neuroanatomical and

biomechanical differences exist between the genders in sports that could contribute to

these differences (concussiontreatment.com)

Some studies have shown that the females tend to be able to sustain the concussion injury for

longer and have more symptoms than boys. soccer is the most common sport that female

concussions occur while football is the most common sport to have concussions. Professional

football players will receive an estimated 900-1500 blows to the head during a season.

(concussiontreatment.com) The awareness of this is about to hit the box offices. Sony pictures

decided to make a movie telling the story of a Nigerian born doctor who discovered a disease in

the brain of professional football players. This movie featuring Will Smith as the main character

(Dr.omalu) will change how america thinks on the dangers of football. Some football athletes

have said they wont see the movie because theyre scared of what theyll discover on the

dangers of football. You can expect this movie to stir up some raffle in the NFL. (Lauren

Holter) Dr. Bennet Omalu, a 47 year old neuropathologist discovered the CTE (Chronic

traumatic encephalopathy) in former pittsburg steeler star mike webber who died at age 50 of a

heart attack after years of depression and dementia that eventually led him to becoming homeless

and forgetting how to do basic things. Doctors were aware that boxers suffered brain problems

after years of continuous head trauma. After omalu discovered the disease and posted his

findings the NFL sent a letter to one of his colleagues saying that he was a fraud and he practiced

voodoo since he was from Nigeria. Because Dr.omalu was Nigerian many people thought he was

attacking the american way of life. The NFL did see to it to make some changes regarding the

safety of their players after the awareness got bigger in 2009. The NFL had instituted concussion
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management guidelines which includes neuropsychological testing on every player to determine

when a player could return the field. Nearly 40 rules changes have been put in place over the 10

years to eliminate dangerous plays and reduce the risk of head injury on impact. (Lauren

Holter). When Dr.omalu heard of the new standards for concussion he replied "You mean they

never had any concussion guidelines before now? Geez." The movie Concussion Comes out

christmas day 2015.

Early in this football season the rams running back Tre Mason had took a horrific knee to

the helmet. What had happened next was remarkable. The game had been stopped and a medical

observer who had saw the hit called a medical timeout and they escorted Mason the sidelines and

for a brief moment while he was in the locker room they had cleared him of all symptoms and

returned to the game. That was the first time a medical timeout had been called in the National

Football League.

The actions today for NFl athletes concussions follows 5 steps. Rest and recovery, Light

and aerobic exercise, Continued aerobic exercise introduction of strength training, Football-

Specific Work, and full football activity-full clearance. Rest and recovery consists of working on

their balance and stretching. Light aerobic exercise, under the supervision of a medical staff the

player can do cardiovascular exercise such as riding a stationary bike or treadmill. Continued

aerobic exercise is the 2nd step on building allowing the player to lift weights. Football specific

work includes drills such as catching and throwing the ball. full football activity clearance the

player returns to playing with no limitation while observed by a neurological consultant. (liz

clarke).

During the years of the NFL, some professional football players had been shamed for

their behaviors outside the league, such as getting arrested for more than minor crimes. The ray
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rice incident where he had assaulted and knocked out his girlfriend in the elevator, Donte

stallworth who drove drunk and killed someone, but this one incident involving the kansas city

chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher who had shot and killed his girlfriend, before killing himself in

the year 2013. pathology reports showed he likely had Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, or

CTE doctors say.

The rate of blackouts among NFL players fell 25 percent this season, as indicated by the class,

even as harm reporting and treks to the harmed store rundown rose in general.

Information gave to The Associated Press by the NFL in front of its yearly pre-Super Bowl

wellbeing and security news gathering Thursday appears there were 111 blackouts in

amusements amid the 2014 normal season, down from 148 in 2013, and 173 in 2012, a 36

percent drop over that three-year compass.

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At the point when preseason amusements, in addition to preseason and general season practices,

are incorporated, the 202 blackouts this season declined 12 percent from 2013, and 23 percent

from 2012. That is regardless of no new principles intended to secure players' heads. (Espn.com)

The NLF is a very dangerous sport and have always been. Concussions occur much too

frequently in the games and more than rules have to put in place to stop them. Chronic Traumatic

Encephalopathy could ruin lives and forever be a problem if the NFL dont try to reduce to the

concussions rates even more every year. College athletes, as well high school athletes. The

concussions in sport shouldnt change the person to what theyll become. Concussions in sports

has had a profound effect on athletes and should be further evaluated for safety and scientific

research.