There has been huge debate in the media recently regarding concussion. Players in all sports including football are at risk from this invisible injury. Many players at all levels of the game suffer from concur and many I would suggest almost all continue to play on through the injury, ignoring the symptoms and at great risk to themselves, but considering the risk, why do we play on and why are we allowed to do so?
The first problem is that there is a lack of understanding throughout the game from the very top to the very bottom about what concussion is its not just getting knocked out, seeing stars or feeling a little dizzy after a blow to the head, these are symptoms, it is a traumatic brain injury. Symptoms of a concussion include headaches that could be very severe, nausea, memory loss, difficulty with concentration, irritability, difficulty with sleep, changes in appetite, drops in energy levels. With the above symptoms and risk of long term danger it seems obvious that following suffering a concussion should stop playing, take ourselves out of risk and seek medical treatment and advice, the fact that we don't at all levels of the game comes down to in my opinion lack of knowledge of both the players and coaches. I think it's possibly in the psyche of players no matter age or ability to play through the injury, or want to return to the team quicker than it is safe to do so. Recently we all saw Chelsea Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois suffer an injury before attempting to carry on returning to the field with obvious problems before finally leaving with blood trickling from his ear, nobody could claim that this was the best thing for his safety, if this can happen at Chelsea in the English Premier League with the resources available to and tens of thousands watching then what's happening to our children in under 11s games on a park in the middle of nowhere, with teams run by well intentioned parents with no medical support other than a first aider with some plasters and freeze spray, we need to educate and empower players to say no I can't play, I need to recover. The risks of second impact are terrible and players must protect themselves.
When you are a manager of a team be it Chelsea in the Premier League or that Under 11s team in the park you want your players to be playing there are pressures to get players playing, different pressures but pressures all the same Chelsea want to win leagues, millions of pounds are at stake as well as the mangers job and salary. On the park they still want to win, the manager may only have eleven players and everybody wants to play, parents want their children to play and so on. One player missing because they have a headache following a little bang last week could effect everybody, you get them out there, don't you? Its only a headache and the lad wants to play? We must allow coaches at all levels to make the correct decisions, lives are at stake. Educate parents and players and those decisions become easier.
Lives and quality of life are literally at stake we all have heard stories of boxers or American footballers suffering horrendously following head injuries but it is there in football too Jeff Astle played for West Bromwich and England during the 60's and 70's and later in life suffered from Alzheimers disease before his death in 2002 his family launched the Justice for Jeff campaign calling for an inquiry into the link between brain disease and heading heavy leather footballs. It was confirmed that his disease had been caused by football with his wife Laraine said "The job he loved, in the end killed him. Everything he won, he remembered none of it". The coroners report on his death said "death by industrial disease".
Players must be protected no matter what, it is the job of everybody to get the message out there, I love the idea of my son enjoying football and want him playing in a team enjoying himself every week but not if it's causing long term damage, if he plays and gets injured fair enough but we must ensure he is given time to recover before he is back on the pitch.
@lfclumo
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