Study Shows That Teens Are Not Taking Sports Injuries Seriously Enough |
Posted: January 12, 2018 |
Young athletes who participate in group sports are increasingly ignoring their injuries even when they are severe. This dangerous trend is concerning because teenagers who continue to participate in strenuous sports-related activity after getting injured could make their injury much worse and even cause permanent damage. It’s common for people to go into a state of shock after sustaining an injury. Adrenaline takes over and may block your brain’s ability to perceive pain in this state. There are several reasons why these teenagers feel driven to continue participating in games even when they’ve been hurt, but there are steps that you can take as a parent or coach to prevent these injuries from becoming worse. Boothby’s Story Boothby’s tragic story is one example that highlights the very real dangers of ignoring sports injuries at school. Back in September of 2013, Boothby was a rising star in her high school’s field-hockey team. During one important game, she was accidentally struck by an opponent’s hockey stick. The stick made impact with the side of Boothby’s head, and the collision caused Boothby to entirely black out. Despite passing out, Boothby was allowed to continue playing in the game. According to her statements, the young athlete felt pressured to be tough and return to the game because their team was losing. Once the initial adrenaline and shock wore off that evening, Boothby began feeling nauseous. She noticed it was more difficult to access her memories, so the family brought her to the hospital. The doctor explained that Boothby had experienced a severe concussion during her game, and she now faces a life with permanent brain damage. It took the former field-hockey player nearly a year of physical therapy to even be able to stand up unassisted. Her grades suffered, and she was diagnosed with ADHD. While the doctors are not confident that the injury was made worse by continuing to play, it’s well known that continuing strenuous activity with a head injury can lead to devastating consequences like second impact syndrome. Teen Athlete Injury Statistics Safe Kids Worldwide, a national research group, has attempted to gain insight into why over a million younger athletes are seen in emergency rooms every year for sports-related injuries. While sports are likely to cause injuries sometimes, it is simply unacceptable that teenagers are seen in the ER roughly every 25 seconds for sports injuries. Safe Kids Worldwide has found significant evidence that the culture surrounding high school sports itself is dangerous. Younger athletes participate in a culture that widely ignores and downplays the seriousness of injuries. Additionally, players are often pressured by coaches and teammates to continue playing or practicing when they’ve been hurt. Safe Kids Worldwide found that over 53 percent of coaches have felt pressured to put a player back into the game knowing that they are injured. On top of this, high school athletes are often competing for prestigious scholarships and funding for college, so they may be inclined to hide injuries from parents and coaches. Instead of being avoided, rough play is normalized in the young athlete’s culture. Preventing a Sports Injury In the age of information, parents, coaches and school districts are well-equipped with the knowledge and awareness to make high school sports safer than ever, yet kids are still putting themselves at an unnecessary level of risk. The president of Safe Kids Worldwide, Kate Carr, agrees that teenage athletes continue to behave in dangerous ways in part because of the youth sports culture. Many states have responded by restricting contact in youth sports and regulating safety gear like helmets and padding. In addition, all states now mandate that a player be removed from a game or practice when there are signs indicating a possible concussion. The High School Coaching Association has advocated for new laws that would make a medical professional required at each game. Safety advocates are also pushing for new training for all high school coaches that would teach coaches to resist pressure to return injured players into games. High School Sports and Injuries It’s inevitable that injuries will happen when teenagers are playing competitive sports, but it’s a completely different story when a coach encourages an already hurt player to continue performing. It’s crucial for parents, coaches and young athletes to begin recognizing and reversing the notions within sports culture that encourage ignoring or downplaying injuries. While states and coaching associations continue fighting to encourage safer game play, high school athletes remain vulnerable to the pressures of their coaches, teammates, school and scholarships. Because of the immense pressure on young athletes to “play through the pain”, there are stringent laws that protect children exhibiting signs of a concussion. Coaches must pull young athletes from games when they are showing symptoms of a concussion, and failing to do so is considered negligence.
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