A doctor/parent talks about trying to find a balance between the benefits and dangers of letting his children play contact sports.
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I'm wearing two hats here; I'm wearing brain injury scientist, and I'm wearing parent hat.
I'm an avid sports fan.
I participated in many contact and collision sports over my lifetime.
What I try to balance as a parent is
the enjoyment that my son or daughter might experience from the sports participation,
the lessons they may learn, and the safety of their participation.
My perspective is--as it relates to concussion--
is that a single event is a transient neurologic event that has a
rapid and complete recovery in a few days in the overwhelming majority of cases.
If I sensed that my son or daughter was at increased risk of
cumulative effects from repeated concussion,
then I would rethink the equation
and perhaps steer them away from that contact or collision sport.
But until then, as long as I am reasonably confident about their safe participation
and the safe participation principles of the organizing body for that sport,
I think I'd be inclined to let them participate.
Produced by Victoria Tilney McDonough and Brian King, BrainLine.
Michael McCrea, PhD, ABPP is the executive director of the ProHealth Care Research Institute and Neuroscience Center based in suburban Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Dr. McCrea is a board-certified clinical neuropsychologist and has headed up the Neuropsychology Service at Waukesha Memorial Hospital since 1996.
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Transcript of this video.- Working the Sidelines
- “Brown Is Bad, Brown Is Cell Death.” The “brown” is tau, a protein that accumulates in the brains of people, like professional football players and boxers, who have sustained repeat blows to the head. Learn about the research and education going on at the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy, a collaboration between Boston University School of Medicine and the Sports Legacy Institute. See all videos interviews with Dr. Ann McKee.
- Game Changers
- Increased knowledge about the long-term effects from contact sports may catalyze rule changes.
See all videos interviews with Dr. Ann McKee.
- Are Contact Sports Dangerous?
- During any given season in football or ice hockey, for example, a player has a 5-10% chance of sustaining a concussion.
- How Common Are Concussions in Contact Sports?
- People need to know that a concussion can be a serious event, repetitive concussions even more so. Proper recovery is essential to outcome.
- Concussions and Contact Sports
- Many professional sports have supportive alliances with youth sports. Learn how the CDC helps.
- Professional and Youth Sports Leagues Work Together for Safety
- Blatant hits and fouls are not necessary in kids' sports; rule changes could make sports safer.
- Making Kids' Sports Safer
- The hormonal and morphological structures in girls make them more vulnerable to TBIs than boys.
- Why Are Girls More Likely to Sustain a TBI in Sports?
- A jarred brain needs sufficient time to rest and recover. It's simple, but makes all the difference in the long term.
See all videos interviews with Dr. Ann McKee.
- How Can We Improve the Way Sports Handle Brain Injuries?
Articles:
- Opinion: Surgeon Tackles Brain Injury in Youth Sports
- Sports and Concussion: “When in Doubt, Sit It Out”
- Management of Sports-Related Concussion in Children and Adolescents
- ACTive: Free Concussion Training for Sports Coaches
- Concussion and Sports: Know Your Game!
- What Should Sports Coaches Know?
- Concussion and Sports
- Heads Up: Concussion in Youth Sports
- Why Is It So Hard to Keep Cheerleaders Safe?
- Head to Head with Christopher Nowinski
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