New Research on High School Concussions
By Ken Reed
Concussions and brain trauma in youth and high school sports has become such a big issue that the National Athletic Trainers Association recently devoted an entire issue of Journal of Athletic Training to sport-related concussions.
The trainers’ survey found that 94% of adults said head injuries and concussions in sports are a public health issue.
There were other interesting findings but the most concerning was that 55% of high school athletes said they didn’t or wouldn’t report a concussion. This despite the fact that all the athletes in the survey had taken preseason concussion education mandated by their states. Reasons for not reporting the concussion symptoms included: not wanting to lose playing time, not thinking the injury was serious enough to require medical attention, and not wanting to let the team down.
Another disturbing finding: Only 37% of U.S. high schools employ a full-time athletic trainer. This is important because schools with full-time trainers do a better job of identifying concussed athletes than schools without full-time trainers. Also, athletes at schools without full-time athletic trainers return to play sooner than athletes with full-time trainers. Returning to play too soon after a concussion is dangerous because an athlete is more vulnerable to a follow-up concussion. Athletes that return to play too soon are also at higher risk for a rare but serious and sometimes fatal condition known as Second Impact Syndrome.
Also of note, athletes at schools with athletic trainers correctly identified the signs and symptoms of concussions at a higher rate than athletes at schools without full-time trainers.
If schools are going to spend the money to fund competitive varsity athletics, they also need to find the money to fund a full-time athletic trainer.
— Ken Reed, Sports Policy Director, League of Fans
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"How We Can Save Sports" author Ken Reed appears on Fox & Friends to explain how there's "too much adult in youth sports."
Ken Reed appears on Mornings with Gail from KFKA Radio in Colorado to discuss bad parenting in youth athletics.
“Should College Athletes Be Paid?” Ken Reed on The Morning Show from Wisconsin Public Radio
Ken Reed appears on KGNU Community Radio in Colorado (at 02:30) to discuss equality in sports and Title IX.
Ken Reed appears on the Ralph Nader Radio Hour (at 38:35) to discuss his book The Sports Reformers: Working to Make the World of Sports a Better Place, and to talk about some current sports issues.
- League of Fans Sports Policy Director Ken Reed quoted in Washington Post column titled "What happened to P.E.? It’s losing ground in our push for academic improvement," by Jay Mathews
League of Fans is a sports reform project founded by Ralph Nader to fight for the higher principles of justice, fair play, equal opportunity and civil rights in sports; and to encourage safety and civic responsibility in sports industry and culture.
Sports & Torts – Ken Reed, Sports Policy Director, League of Fans – at the American Museum of Tort Law
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