It’s the last quarter of the game and the home team is up by twenty points and can taste the victory. College scouts from across the country have come to recruit for their football teams The star quarterback is leading his team to success despite countless blows to the ground. He shakes off his severe headache and ringing in his ears, it’s a common feeling during any game.

This is an all too familiar scene as youth athletes brush off side effects of a concussion and play by the motto “No pain, No gain”. In some cases that is what the player needs to do while learning a new skill or while finishing a tough workout. However, when it comes to head injuries no athlete should put the game before their health.

One of the most common injuries that is occurring in all sports across the nation is the infamous concussion. Participants in sports like football, soccer, wrestling, and even non contact sports encounter and try to avoid this injury.

A concussion is a form of brain trauma. It is caused by a blow to the head or body, fall or movement that causes the brain to move inside the skull. The brain is made of soft tissue and is surrounded by spinal fluid and encased in the protective shell of the skull. Traumatic brain injuries can cause bruising, damage to the blood vessels, and injury to the nerves. During the process in which the athlete is concussed, friction often causes the brain’s nerve cells called axons to be stretched and strained. As a result of this process the brain does not function correctly (WebMD).

Athletes are not expected to know the exact science behind concussions and what happens to the brain, but its crucial that they understand how severely their lives can be impacted by concussions. The problem is that young athletes do not understand the serious and life threatening risks that concussions entail. This is a nation wide issue as young athletes take a concussing blow to the head and return to play the same day.

For the more mature athlete, it is not that they don’t know when they have a concussion, but more about being tough and playing through the pain. It’s difficult for a teen athlete to come off the field and ask to be benched for a headache that may or may not be related to a concussion. With that being said, an athlete who takes forceful blows to his body time after time puts himself in grave danger. It’s extremely important for a young competitive athlete to have a strong supporting team. People who care about the athlete and do what they can to help pursue their career are typically parents, coaches and personal trainers. An athlete armed with the right information about nutrition, injuries and technique has the power to truly excel. It is also important for the team to be attentive. Taking note of any unusual behaviors during a game or practice to pick up any sign of an injury. It is best for any adult managing a team or athlete to go by the rule of thumb; “When in doubt, Sit them out”. Although that is the recommended course of action, intense coaches or parents often look past injuries because of their aggression to win. That, for example, is harmful to the athlete and is not beneficial in the long run.

Every year new campaigns are created to help raise awareness about concussions and sports safety. In September of 2010 various campaigns supported by the NFL were initiated. A national campaign sponsored by “USA Football” titled “Put Pride Aside for Player Safety” was created to push coaches, instructors parents and youth players to make the right choice when suspecting a concussion (NFL Communications ). In 2012 “Heads Up: Concussions in Youth Sports” was designed by US Youth Soccer and Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to help get the crucial information about concussions to the coaches, parents, medical staff and players. “Heads Up” has made it easy for coaches to take a free online course that will help them make the right decisions when it comes to their players and concussions. Additionally, “Many states, schools, and sports leagues and organizations have created policies or action plans on concussions in youth and high school sports. While these policy efforts show some promise, more research is needed to learn if these strategies can help educate coaches and parents about this issue and help protect children and teens from concussion and other serious brain injuries” (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).

An article written by Lauren Neergaard states that, “No one knows how often the youngest athletes suffer concussions. It's not clear if better headgear is the answer, and it's not just a risk in football.” It is entirely true that many children and adolescents involved with sports often times have no idea they just received a concussion. Not all athletes who who become concusses are proper diagnosis by a medical professional which puts them at further risk. Without being correctly checked, the seriousness of their concussion will remain unknown as will any further damage that cannot be seen by looking at the child.

Unfortunately, the star quarterback introduced at the beginning of the paper knew nothing about concussions. His symptoms that occurred during the big game were a small sample of what he’d been experiencing for months. Fatigue was slowing him down in practice and forgetfulness took a toll as he forgot numerous plays. A few hours after the game at a celebration, he was dizzy, throwing up and rushed to a hospital. His CT scan showed mild bruising to the brain and he was not able to fully comprehend the situation or answer any basic questions. The promising athlete that everyone saw on the field earlier that fall day suffered from severe brain damage due to numerous concussions that he thought were just part of the game. As a result of his brain damage, the football player who is now 26 has chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and will never be the same again.