1. CONCUSSIONS IN FOOTBALL By: Ryan Chorazyczewski 6 th hour

2. ATTENTION GETTER

3. THESIS STATEMENT  There need to be new, safer helmets developed, along with new rules on hitting in American football to reduce the number of concussions.

4. Big Hit http://www.passenlaw.com/blog/wp- content/uploads/2009/12/NFL- concussion-TBI-guidelines-254x300.jpg

5. DETAILS ABOUT CONCUSSIONS

6.  “62.5% suffered at least one concussion” (“Blows to the Head”). This statistic shows that over half of the players in the NFL have suffered a concussion in a year.  “24.0% suffered more than three concussions” (“Blows to the Head”) Shows that almost a quarter of the players in the NFL suffered more than three concussions.

7. DETAILS ABOUT CONCUSSIONS  “Professional football players receive as many as 1,500 hits to the head in a single season, depending on their position. That’s 15,000 in a 10-year playing career, not to mention any blows they received in college, high school, and peewee football” (“The Helmet That Could Save Football”). This shows that these hits to the head happen almost every play in American Football. This is why there needs to be new rules to help stop this.

8. DETAILS ABOUT CONCUSSIONS  “Researchers at Virginia Tech and Wake Forest University found that some head impacts among football players in second grade were as severe as those in college athletes” (“Hard Knocks”). Each injury is very serious Never underestimate the injury, even if a child is young

9. DETAILS ABOUT CONCUSSIONS  “In a given football season, 10% of all college and 20% of high school players sustain a brain injury” (“Preventing Permanent CONCUSSION DAMAGE”). Shows these injuries are very common These injuries are just as bad throughout all levels of football

10. Hit to the Helmet http://www.wnd.com/files/2012/12/footb all-hit-600.jpg

11. Causes of a concussion  Initial impact  Brain strikes skull May rebound or twist in severe cases  Brain swells

12. Causes of a concussion  Player is hit with a power averaging a force of 98 times the force of gravity.  Shock wave flies through head.  Brain hits skull.  Impact causes bruising of brain and tearing of blood vessels.

13. CAUSES OF A CONCUSSION  “The human brain is basically an irregularly shaped blob of Jell-O sitting inside a hard shell lined with ridges and cliffs. After a football tackle or a hockey check, that blob moves, and does so in irregular ways” (“The Helmet that could save Football”). Tells how the brain is very fragile. Tells how the brain moves and why.

14. Helmet to Helmet Contact http://onpoint.wbur.org/files/2010/10/101 025_NFL_220.jpg

15. EFFECTS OF A CONCUSSION  “Long-term survivors of a TBI may suffer from persistent problems with behavior, thinking, and communication disabilities, as well as epilepsy; loss of sensation, hearing, vision, taste, or smell; ringing in the ears (tinnitus); coordination problems; and/or paralysis” (“Traumatic Brain injury”).  TBI-Traumatic Brain Injury Shows how bad concussions can be Shows the long term effects that some football players may face

16. EFFECTS OF A CONCUSSION  “Returning to play too quickly risks second-Impact syndrome, where swelling causes blood flow to be compromised” (“Blows to the Head”). Many players rush to come back into play.  Putting their health at risk by doing this.

17. Big Football Hit http://www.momsteam.com/files/images/ Tebow_concussion_helmet_to_helmet_ contact_1.jpg

18. SOLUTION  New helmet design that could help save football  Reduces rotational forces that cause concussions

19. SOLUTION  “Pop Warner is the country's largest football organization for kids. Its teams now cannot spend more than one third of practice time on tackling and blocking. Also, players can't take a running start and ash into each other during drills” (“Hard Knocks”). This shows that some precautions are being taken to prevent concussions Most concussions take place in practice  Limited practice = Less concussions

20. Helmet to Helmet Contact http://www.protectyourincome.com/wp- content/uploads/2013/03/Football-Head- Injury.jpg

21. CONCLUSION  There need to be measures taken to prevent these awful concussions. Here are a few things that I believe should be done about this problem: Make new helmets Make rules protecting players Reduce hitting time during practice Teach all kids to tackle with their head up  If not compliant, sit them down and talk to them about the importance of keeping their head up.