by Darcy Keith,
Keynote Speaker
With
the recent Frontline documentary on the NFL and their denial of the concussion
issue, along with the million dollar settlement for retired NFL players, it’s
no wonder why brain injuries are the topic of discussion in the sports world. But with the increased information available
about this subject to make informed playing decisions, why aren’t more athletes
considering this information as if their life depended on it?
Being an NFL Rookie Success Program
speaker on the “Traffic Education and Decision Making” module and also an
expert on concussion, I’ve had the privilege to give an insider’s view into the
topic of concussion. You see, I
sustained two traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) as a college senior. In one instant, I went from a college senior
who had everything going for me to a paralyzed, diaper-wearing individual with
the mental ability of a five year-old. My life, as I thought, was over. Or was it?
Concussions, or mild traumatic brain injuries, can occur in just about
any sport. Most of them are
recoverable. In other words, the
athlete’s playing career isn’t over. There is a lot of good information about the
signs, symptoms, concussion management, and long-term effects from repeated
concussions on the web. Many sports are
implementing new concussion avoidance techniques such as limited contact during
practice, new tackling guidelines, wearing “concussion caps” and more. What else can be done today to help our student-athletes
of tomorrow?
One of
the first steps is going to be a tough one for football. America loves this hard-hitting sport. From game highlights to the “best of” videos,
the public associates football with “getting your bell rung”. Not only is concussion education needed, we also
need a paradigm shift in our thinking.
No longer should the game highlights include a player getting leveled
from a hit or a helmet crushing blow, but instead showing good tackles and
safer play. I realize that I will
receive much criticism for that statement.
Kids mimic their NFL role models. If they see hard hits, they give them, too. But,
they will also model good tackling demonstrated by their NFL heroes.
Last
year, I received a phone call from a retired Chicago Bears player. He was experiencing memory issues, which led
to depression. He was calling me for
help and guidance. I’ve seen and talked
with some of these retired NFL players, who are now experiencing issues that
are very likely caused from multiple concussions. Some people argue that the retired players
would have continued to play knowing the concussion risks of long-term
problems, such as dementia. But,
wouldn’t you have wanted to know, as a player going into that decision, the
facts of what multiple concussive and subconcussive blows to the head would
cause? Younger athletes can’t make the
decision. Their parents do. We parents must make informed decisions on
their behalf in their best interest, not because there is a full-ride
scholarship on the line if they don’t play.
I know of several players college-aged and younger who no longer play
football because their doctor told them they’ve had too many concussions. It’s a tough decision for parents to decide
if their child play or not, but they must be armed with necessary information
so that what’s best for their child is taken into consideration.
When I
ask the NFL rookies if they want to admit receiving a concussion while playing,
many of them raise their hands like it was a badge of honor. Asking them how they feel after receiving a
concussion, some told me experiences including lights in a room being too
bright, loud noises now bothered them, and they had been dazed. With the threat of other teammates wanting to
be the “next man up”, the rookies were going to play through the concussion. But, that begs the question, “When is enough,
enough?”
Almost
all players in sports want to continue playing despite injury. That’s a fact. If a player has a torn ACL, broken arm or leg,
the injured area isn’t used until it heals. But, a concussion isn’t something
that can be seen like a broken arm or leg.
If a player says his/her head doesn’t feel right, he/she runs the risk
of being looked down on, lose future playing time, or some other
consequence. They play through it, not
wanting to sit on the sidelines or let the team down. Many others just love to play the game and
will do so at all costs. Whatever the
motivation, it’s important to recognize these issues with the student-athletes
and employ practical strategies to help them.
Football
is not just a game. It’s about
people. It’s about a player’s long-term
health. It’s about the quality of life
as we get older. My life wasn’t over
after receiving two traumatic brain injuries.
In fact, I went back to college, and despite memory issues, graduated
and now am a professional speaker, sharing my secrets of success with others. The key is gathering information and being
educated about concussions in order to make informed decisions that affect not
only the player, but also his/her family. What we can do to help our student-athletes
and parents is to provide them with this information and make sure they
understand it. After all, their lives
may depend on it.
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