Nov. 19

https://www.nchsaa.org/sites/default/files/attachments/nfhs-concussion-mgmt.pdf

Here is the link to the pamphlet I was talking about.

I was mistaken. This is actually not a pamphlet that is given out to the players. This is one created by the NFHS, the National Federation of High School Associations. I looked up some information about the NFHS and it is the body that writes the rules of competition for most high school sports and activities in the United States. So, I actually do not know to whom this pamphlet is given out to. Maybe it's just something that is just on its website.

Something I found interesting in the brochure:

"For non-medical personnel, the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) has also developed a tool kit (“Heads Up:
Concussion in High School Sports"), which has been made available
to all high schools, and has information for coaches, athletes and
parents. The NFHS is proud to be a co-sponsor of this initiative."

"Which has been made available to all high schools." Really? ALL high schools? What does being "made available" even mean? If putting this up on the CDC's website (actually "putting up" is a nicer way to describe it, if you don't know I actually linked the "Head Up: Concussion in High School Sports" pamphlet in another blog. The link to get to that was hidden) constitutes as being "made available to all high schools" than the Oakland Raiders may also be the best team in the NFL.

Other than that I am actually fairly pleased with what I saw. The brochure covers some of the major points about concussions and is very simple to understand. It's just the implementation of the pamphlet that is bothering me. I really doubt that the majority of schools have ever seen it before. What I do really like though is the words they use on what would be the first page if the brochure was folded up.

"EVEN SEEMINGLY MINOR CONCUSSIONS
CAN HAVE DEVASTATING RESULTS"

This is something that needs to be known to the general public. The majority of people don't know that what may seem like "getting your bell rung" can end up having a huge impact on the rest of your life. Here is my biggest problem with football. There are 53 players on each team's active roster. There are 32 teams in the NFL. We take 53 and we multiply it by 32. We get 53 x 32 = 1696. That's the amount of players in the NFL. Only 1,696 people. How many people play football at the elementary, junior high, high, and college level? Millions. We have millions of people playing this game and getting injured to a point where the rest of their lives will never be the same. I know that TIME magazine posed the question "Is Football worth it?". To me, at this very moment, it isn't. I honestly would not let my son play the game as it is right now. Neither would the President of our country. People need to be informed. Because once informed, there will be an immense amount of pressure to change the way the game is played, which, in turn, will make it safer and less violent. Because, as of this instant, the NFL isn't marketing the game of football, they are marketing violence itself.