Should Helmet to Helmet Contact Be Banned from High School Football? Gareth Davies

Concussion Statistics  At least one player sustains a mild concussion in nearly every American football game  There are approximately 67,000 diagnosed concussions in high school football every year  At least 50 youth football players (high school or younger) from 20 different states have died or sustained serious head injuries on the field since 1997

Revolution vs. Standard Helmet  The Revolution helmet, manufactured and introduced by Riddell in 2002, was developed with the intent of reducing the incidence and severity of concussion  Pads are a lot softer in the Revolution helmet  Air pump to secure helmet tightness  Lighter helmet shell so it is not as rough on the neck

How to Identify if You Have a Concussion Concussion Symptoms Include :  Dizziness  Nausea  Light headed  Having very bad headaches  Confusion  Slurred speech  Fatigue  Loss of Consciousness

After researching my topic and learning how important it is to practice safe tackling techniques, I decided to teach a class at Riverwood Middle School on how to practice safe tackling skills and how to identify if you have a concussion or not

Product Process  Step 1 – Finding a Mentor  Step 2 – Plan my event and select a date  Step 3 – Get approval from school  Step 4 – Get volunteers  Step 5 – Get cones and supplies  Step 6 – Tournament

7 on 7 Tournament  Game 1 – Juniors vs. Sophomores: Winner = Juniors  Game 2 – Seniors vs. Freshmen: Winner = Seniors  Game 3 (Championship) – Seniors vs. Juniors: Winner = Juniors

Mentor: John Owen  Coach Owen was my middle school football coach. He teaches 7 th grade Social Studies at Riverwood Middle School  He helped me organize and plan my whole tournament and was there to give me positive feedback and keep me motivated throughout the whole process

Challenges and Successes Challenges:  At first I was not very motivated to get my project done  Balancing my project and other classes  Planning the event  Making sure teams were even (Getting People to sign up) Successes:  Everyone including myself had a great time participating in the tournament  I had everything done on time  Stayed motivated

What I Would Have Done Differently  I would have chosen a topic that was easier to research  Would not haven waited until the last minute to get my work done  Planned my event a little better  Had more teams to participate in the tournament

What I Learned  It is safer to tackle with your head up instead of leading with your helmet and leaving your neck exposed  Always be aware of your surroundings on a football field  If you put your mind to it you can achieve anything  If you wait until the last minute you will be stressed beyond belief

Thank you for your time. Do you have any questions?