Kulcsar 1

Brandon Kulcsar
Mrs. DeBock
English 4 Honors
March 4, 2015
Research Paper
Often in contact sports such as football or lacrosse players violently come into contact
with one another resulting in injuries. One injury that is common in most contact sports is the
concussion. Over the past few years there has been a large increase in the amount of concussions
that occur in contact sports. The rate per 100,00 increased from 466.7 to 754.3 for boys and from
208.6 to 440.7 for girls during the study period(Macpherson, Fridman, etc). The state and
federal governments and sports committees should determine whether contact sports should have
more rules in order to be safer due to concussions.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more
than 300000 patients present to emergency departments each year for sport
related traumatic brain injuries. (Cournoyer & Tripp 654) A player may receive a

concussion when that person hits their head on an object or an object hit the person in the head.
To deal with injuries, schools hire athletic trainers to treat the injured athletes instead of sending
a student to the hospital for every possible injury. One duty of an athletic trainer is to educate
athletes about concussions and what may happen if the student with the concussion tries to play
through the pain. An example that proves why one should not play through the pain of a
concussion is the death of Chad Stover. Chad Stover was a football play attending Tipton High

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School in Tipton Missouri. The autopsy revealed that Stover passed away due to a traumatic
brain injury that had been procured during a playoff game. Because Stover attempted to play
through the pain he, his family, and all of his friends and peers have to suffer the tragic
consequences. It did not cross my mind that I would not see him come off that field said Chad
Stovers mother.
Permanent brain damage can be caused if an athlete receives a concussion and proceeds
to participate in play without checking with the athletic trainers, giving the brain proper resting
time, and take good care until the brain has returned to full health. In some cases the athlete that
has been concussed may not report the injury in fear of being taken from play. Had a trainer been
notified of the concussion then further damage to the brain or even death can be averted. The
athlete would be subject to only missing one or two games.
Without proper protocol and standards being followed after an athlete has received a
concussion an athletes brain may succumb to further harm; the constantly increasing harm has a
high potential to lead to permanent brain damage. Although athletic trainer may not be able to
completely treat a concussion through medication, they can ensure that the athlete gives the brain
the proper amount of rest. The trainers can also ensure recovery by not allowing the player to
return back to practice or games too soon. Athletic trainers are the key to treating concussions
and providing a safe standard of health for which the athlete is able to return to play without
furthering the damage that occurred during a concussion.

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Works Cited

"A Countywide Program to Manage Concussions in High School Sports." Sport

Journal (2014): 1. Education Full Text (H.W. Wilson). Web. 19 Feb.
2015.Cournoyer, Janie, and Brady Tripp.
"Concussion Knowledge in High School Football Players." Journal of Athletic Training
49.5 (2014): 654. EBSCO Host. Web. 19 Feb. 2015.
Gregory, Sean. "'It Didnt Cross My Mind That I Wouldn't See Him Come Off
That Field.'" Time 29 Sept.
2014. Print.