Concussions At The High School Level

We know that the NFL has its problems with concussions, which could lead to and has resulted multiple times in CTE, but the NFL and NCAA obviously aren't the only levels of football who deals with this issue, what about high school football players? According to PBS Frontline, High school football players are nearly twice as likely to sustain a concussion as are college players, yet it “remains unclear” as to whether repetitive head injuries can lead to long-term brain disease. The study, which was an analysis of peer-reviewed studies on head trauma in a variety of high school sports, estimated that high school football players suffered 11.2 concussions for every 10,000 games and practices. Among college players, the rate stood at 6.3. However, it is important to note that many concussions go unreported and that data on injuries such as concussions are limited. As FRONTLINE reported in an investigation into the NFL’s concussion crisis, researchers led by Dr. Ann McKee at Boston University have discovered CTE in the brains of dozens of deceased football players. Among the youngest players found to have had the disease were 18-year-old Eric Pelly, who played a number of sports including football, and Owen Thomas, a college football player who hanged himself at the age of 21. This shows us that CTE can cause damage to players of all levels including the players at Dunwoody High School. I discussed the issue with a football player here at Dunwoody, Xavier Willcox, and what he thinks needs to be done on the high school level along with higher levels of football to improve the playing conditions.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7PwyVQKCBzJQUNaeGlkWlFRdnhFNEc2UlZTVU9qcTFITGpF/view?usp=sharing