To emphasize, proper tackling techniques are at the forefront at making the game of football safer. So much “branching out” can be done from implementing rugby-style tackling. The head will be taken out of the game in favor for shoulder to thigh contact. To discourage reckless tackling even more, the severity of penalties related to incorrect tackling must become harsher, specifically, incidents that revolve around helmet to helmet collisions. With the onset of proper tackling techniques, helmet to helmet collisions will become non-existent. Thus, if a helmet to helmet collision occurs, it will be hard to deem it as accidental. What I propose is changing the current penalty from 15 yards to 20 yards for a helmet to helmet collision. If a pass is thrown to a receiver and the receiver has full possession of the ball momentarily before the hit, than a helmet to helmet collision that causes the receiver to drop or fumble the ball past 20 yards from where the ball was initially thrown will result in a penalty that places the ball at the spot of the foul. If the pass is within 20 yards, a penalty will result in which 10 yards will be added from the spot of the foul. With these rules and regulations put in place, the game of football will continue to thrive without becoming “watered down”. Dr. Bennett Omalu, a leading neuropathologist in the study of CTE, recalled a discussion he had with an NFL doctor while reviewing the Mike Webster CTE case. Omalu states that the NFL doctor told him, “Bennett, do you know the implications of what you are doing? If 10 percent of mothers in this country would begin to perceive football as a dangerous sport, that is the end of football.” (Brinson, “Frontline PBS doc ‘League of Denial’ Examines NFL Concussion Problem”). With the implementation of proper tackling techniques, the game of football will, without a doubt, become much more safer, which, in turn, will revitalize endangered youth football leagues around the globe. So, let us not destroy the game of football and the lives of its athletes. Let us preserve both.
Epilogue
At the beginning of the school year, I did not know what to expect from this thesis project. I mean, what was I planning to spend the next 9 months of my life researching, studying, analyzing, and presenting about? I love sports and I want to go into the medical field. However, what am I truly passionate about? What provides me with a sense of fulfillment? That is the question that I had to ask myself before I started my thesis project. I honestly do not know the method in which the answer came to me but it eventually did. I wanted to change the landscape of something I loved because I wanted to preserve what was so special to me. Change. Change is a lackluster word. No, I wanted to leave behind a piece of work that would uproot the game of football as we know it but still leave behind the parts needed to keep the machine running. What I have proposed has the possibility to save tens of thousands of lives. Even after the presentation of my work, I will continue advocating for better concussion management in the game of football. I walked into this thesis course with the thought that the end goal was just to present my work. Instead, I leave this course with the realization that I have presented much more than just the work I have accomplished. I leave this course presenting a burning passion of mine that will only burn brighter each and everyday until progress is made to make the game of football safer and the lives of athletes longer.
I have citations throughout my proposal and I have my works cited page already made. Now I am working on completing my presentation and finishing up my script. My final presentation is 12 days from now. I will be tweaking little things here and there and will begin rehearsing my presentation.
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