News Coverage About Concussions in Athletics is a Warning to Parents Who have Children in Youth Sports
As Joe Theismann pointed out last week, football players know the risks of physical injury and concussions when signing their contract, but they enthusiastically play anyway. However, there are concussion risks hidden in other unsuspecting sports that are almost as risky. While football still tops the list, girls’ soccer accounts for the second largest of all concussions reported by young athletes, according to the American Journal of Sports Medicine.
“Concussions are occurring in alarming rates in youth soccer, hockey, basketball, and other sports. You can’t forget about cheerleading either. It’s one of the most dangerous sports out there. According to The Concussion Crisis, high school girls are sustaining more than three times as many concussions as boys in basketball and more than 50 percent more in soccer,” says Frank N. Darras, America’s top insurance lawyer.
Concussions occur when there is a change in mental status, such as confusion, headache or dizziness after a blow to the head, a jolt, or a significant whipping motion of the head. While many people recover from mild concussions in a few days or a week, others do not.
“Often concussions are treated as less serious than a broken bone and players are encouraged to get back into the game before they’re ready. This leads to a high risk for a second concussion and potential massive brain injury. 95% of players in youth sports will never play in a professional game. They are extremely dependent on a fully functioning brain for their future success,” says Darras.
Due to the high risk nature of many youth sports, parents of teens and college students should make sure their kids have the proper health insurance should a serious injury happen. For Division I,II, or III athletes who may be draft eligible, disability policies are available for your college athlete to insure their future income stream if a career ending injury occurs.
“Proper planning and the right insurance is the very best way to protect our kids and their future careers,” says Darras.