On the recordApril 16, 2015
in Illinois and all over the country thousands of high school students are participating in spring sports, including the national pastime: baseball and softball. As with any sports team, these students are training their growing bodies to compete in a worthy endeavor, but with that comes some risk. They put on helmets, they put on pads, but unfortunately some of them will still get hurt. Injuries are a part of all sports, but as we learn more about the long term effects of concussions and how frequently they are ignored, it is clear we have to step up our game to confront this health risk. The National Federation of State High School Associations estimates about 140,000 students who play high school sports have concussions every year. Sports are second only to motor vehicle crashes as the leading cause of traumatic brain injury among people aged 15 to 24 years. According to the Centers for Disease Control, the number of children age 19 and younger being treated in ERs for traumatic brain injuries went from 153,373 in 2001 to 248,418 in 2009--a 60 percent increase. Some students stay in the game not recognizing the risks of playing hurt--especially when they have had a concussion. Many athletes do not know the signs and symptoms of concussion, which may cause many concussions to go undetected. A 2010 Government Accountability Office study found many sports- related concussions go unreported.…
