LETRR Proposal Progress continued

Last blog I left off in the middle of my Equipment and Technology proposal. Here is the rest of the work from that section.

"Making mouthguards mandatory keeps the players safer and counteracts the argument that they are detrimental to a player’s ability because if everybody has to partake in the mandate, then no player’s skillset has deteriorated relative to another’s. To allow the game to flow just as smoothly, an exception to the rule should be made to quarterbacks and defensive signal callers, that way clear communication can still be taking place. The other change I am proposing is specific to certain positions. All offensive lineman and defensive lineman must wear neck rolls due to the high amount of sub-concussive hits that they receive. Neck rolls restrict the head and neck from jolting too quickly, minimizing the chances for a concussion. Throughout the year, I have incorporated technology into equipment because there is only just one piece of technology that I have been focusing on and it is located within helmets. However, this one piece of technology is so crucial that I had to dedicate a whole section on its behalf. That piece of technology is a wearable sensor implanted within helmets to measure the frequency, severity, and direction of impacts in order to know whether or not a concussion has occurred and use the data collected to learn how to prevent such blows from occurring in the first place. Implementing this sort of sensor technology will be crucial in the collection of more advanced concussion data and will be a monumental step in finding ways not only to reduce the rate of concussions but also possibly prevent concussions from occurring. Without technology, there would be no MIPS helmets. So while it may seem as if technology is being glossed over in this proposal, do not forget that technology in general is always glossed over and taken for granted on a daily basis. However, the aid that is brought on to the table by advancements in technology is colossal. Technology will no longer be the “unsung hero”, but instead a critical factor associated with the betterment of concussion management in the game of football."

 I'm now working on the last section of my thesis project, rules and regulation. Here below is the work I have accomplished for that section.

Rules and Regulation

Tackle like a rugby player. This sentiment has been stressed heavily by Seattle Seahawk’s head coach Pete Carroll. Yes, the Seattle Seahawks. The same team that won Super Bowl XLVIII and has been known over the past few years to boast the NFL’s best defense. Wait, hold on a minute. Does that mean football can be played both safely and effectively? The answer is yes, a million times yes. Implementing Seahawk tackling, which is really just a “rugby-style” shoulder tackling method, is a no brainer. Coach Carroll has released a 21 minute instructional video showing the way his coaching staff teaches tackling. It is not like this has been hidden away in secrecy from every other football organization in the world. Coach Carroll started implementing his rugby-style tackling system back in USC during his time as head coach. The video has been distributed to 14,000 high school football programs and 8,000 youth football programs through the Hudl video network. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has praised Carroll’s work and hopes that players, coaches, and parents at all levels of the game take the time to watch it. Yet, implementation is nonexistent. In order to start the wave of change, the NFL must enforce this shoulder tackling method. All 32 teams must undergo mandatory offseason training in order to learn the tackling techniques. From there, all levels of football, especially the NCAA, will have to implement Seahawk tackling as it will be the tackling technique used at the highest level of football. With the implementation of Seahawk tackling, spear tackling, a dangerous method of “tackling” in which a player uses their body as a spear (head out, arms by their side), will be no more. Spear tackling is illegal in all sports in which tackling is a part of the game - except American football. The combination of making spear tackling illegal and teaching proper tackling techniques will not only reduce the concussion rate in football but also reduce the rate of catastrophic cervical spinal cord injuries.