Football Is Dangerous At A High School

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Football is dangerous at a high school

Introduction

Football, from the start to the end of the game, involves strong push, ligament-twisting, and

head-knocking actions. Players on each side line up face-to-face. The ones at the defence often

tackle using their heads. While carrying the ball, the players the ball, players buck using their

hands to avoid being tackled or to gain space. These vibrant actions often result in injuries, and it

is more common among high school athletes.

Football although a very popular sport, it is a dangerous one subjecting players to a wide range

of injuries and indirect illnesses. Even with proper protective gears, players still suffer from

sprained knees, strained muscles, and even broken bones in some occasions.

Various studies have revealed that football is dangerous for the high school. To put this in

perspective, more than 100 high school children have died from football-related injuries in the

past one decade. 2014 registered 11 deaths, with 2013 topping with 18 deaths as a result of

football (Falk, p24).

At average, four high school students die every year due to head, neck and spine injuries

resulting from football. A bigger number dies from ‘indirect’ causes, for instance, heat stroke,

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underlying illnesses like sickle cell complications, asthma or cardiac arrest which is regarded as

a disorder which kills most of the young adults’ athletes (Falk, p26).

Concussion

A concussion can be referred to as a traumatic brain injury which triggers the brain to move and

alters the way it functions. It is mainly caused by a violent block to the head and even at the

neck. It is the main injury sustained by football players, and the leading cause of death among

high school football athletes. Concussions are caused by collisions of helmet-to-helmet. It also

occurs as a result of impact against the ground or even opponent’s brutal body contact

(Omalu, p48).

Concussions make football a fatal as players sustain repeated blows to the head which risk

causing brain damage. Despite the attempt to come up with equipment which can prevent such

head injuries, there has not been any discovery which can guarantee complete safety for this

sport. Football can be a brutal sport that can lead to lifelong consequences. When a brain is

bashed against the skull, it can never fully recover (Patoski, p82).

When concussions occur in a repetitive manner it can cause CTE (Chronic Traumatic

Encephalopathy), a brain disease commonly found among young football players. Researchers

and doctors reveal that repeated concussions can also cause memory loss, Parkinson’s disease

and as well as Alzheimer’s disease (Omalu, p52).

Concussions adversely affect athlete’s hearing health and ability. The trauma can easily cause

damage to both inner and outer ear. This could be in the form of a broken eardrum or in other

circumstances when the fine hair cells found in the ear get damaged. When this is affected, it can

result in a poor hearing, rendering it difficult to distinguish sounds from the background (Patoski,

p86).

High school football players, following concussions, are more likely to have amnesia and

disorientation compared to adult players. They are also more susceptible to noise sensitivity and

excessive drowsiness. Concussions among young brains tend to be more severe than ones on the

adult brains. This is because it takes relatively less force to concuss a high school player, and the

effect of that concussion effects stay longer than that of the adult players (Patoski, p88).

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The participation of football in high schools has gone down tremendously, and various football

programs have been terminated due to excessive injuries and lack of interests. Parents have also

have influenced this trend as they advise their children to keep off the game.

Football Fatalities

Research reveals that football constituted 62 percent of deaths in high school and college sports

between the years 1982-2013. Center for Disease Control and Prevention asserts that the U.S

emergency departments treat approximately 135,000 children yearly for sport-related brain

injuries. These athletes are mostly below the age of 18 years old. Most of the injuries are said to

be concussions. Successive concussions could put a young adult in a risk such as early dementia,

Parkinson’s disease, and other related neurological conditions. The injury rate among high

school football athletes remains higher than those of their college and NFL counterparts (Allen

and Peissel, p12).

The most common injuries are sprains, bruises, strains, fractures, dislocations and concussions.

Besides these, high school football players can be at risk of suffering blunt injuries to the chest

like cardiac and pulmonary contusions. In addition, these players are subjected to risks of

abdominal injuries, broken ribs and kidney injuries (Allen and Peissel, p14). Orthopedic injuries

on shoulders, knee foot, ankle, neck and back are very common among high school football

players. Other common risks include muscle strains, quads, calves hamstrings and the abdomen.

Injuries sustained at an early age can cause long-term damage. Despite the concussions, the

injuries to the rest of the body can lead to other ailments in later life (Omalu, p56).

Football constitutes the highest number of injuries among high school sports. The table below is

a demonstration that football remains the most dangerous sport in high school.

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The table is obtained article by Jason Breslow

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/high-school-football-players-face-bigger-concussion-risk/

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Work cited

Allen, Missy and Michel Peissel. Dangerous Sports. 1st ed. New York: Chelsea House, 1993.

Print.

Breslow, Jason. High School Football Players Face Bigger Concussion Risk. 2013.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/high-school-football-players-face-bigger-concussion-

risk/

Falk, Gerhard. Football And American Identity. 1st ed. New York: Haworth Press, 2005. Print.

Omalu, Bennet. A Historical Foundation Of CTE In Football Players. 1st ed. Bennet Omalu,

MD: N.p., 2014. Print.

Patoski, Joe Nick. Texas High School Football. 1st ed. Austin, Tex.: The Bob Bullock Texas

State History Museum, 2011. Print.

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