Retiring college quarterbacks shed light on concussions and children

Back to back pensions two college quarterbacks seemingly at the beginning of their careers are back in the spotlight concussions AND youth sportsespecially football.

North Carolina State quarterback Grayson McCall announced on October 23 on Instagram that he would retire after being carried off the field on October 5 in a match in which he lost his helmet due to a hit.

“As you all know, I have struggled with injuries throughout my career, but I cannot come back from this situation. I did everything in my power to continue, but here the good Lord called me to serve in a different space, McCall, 23, wrote alongside photos of him playing football as a toddler. “The brain specialists, my family and I have concluded that it is in my best interest to hang up the cleats.”

Just five days later, on October 28, University of Michigan quarterback Jack Tuttle announced that he, too, was retiring from football, also citing health reasons.

Tuttle, a seventh-grader, had surgery on his throwing shoulder in the offseason. According to ESPN, and then suffered the fifth concussion of his career this season.

“Unfortunately, the recent experience of my fifth concussion has revealed a painful truth: that I need to start prioritizing my health,” Tuttle, 25, wrote in part in her article Instagram post announcing his retirement. “I dealt with numerous injuries throughout my college career, culminating in the difficult decision to step away from the game I love.

Both Tuttle and McCall noted that they planned to remain involved in soccer through coaching, with McCall writing: “I look forward to bringing my passion and love for the game to the coaching space to serve and lead the dreams of the next group of kids. “

The debate over whether it is safe for young children to dream of playing football is being reopened following the retirement of quarterbacks and the recent deaths of two young players.

In August, a 13-year-old boy in West Virginia died of a traumatic brain injury following a tackle during a middle school football practice. According to Associated Press. In the same month According to AP, a 16-year-old high school football player in Alabama, also died after suffering a head injury during the game.

Among youth sports, boys’ soccer has the highest rate of concussions, with 10.4 per 10,000 athletes exposed, according to a 2019 study published in the journal Pediatrics. They are followed by girls’ soccer and boys’ ice hockey, which finished second and third, respectively.

Children who start playing football at a young age may experience injuries at an early age. AND 2018 study found that 5% of youth soccer players ages 5 to 14 sustain a soccer-related concussion each season.

Experts say specializing in one sport can be risky for young athletes

Science shows that every concussion – whether caused by a jolt to the head or a blow to the body – matters.

While the effects of even a mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) or concussion are not usually life-threatening, they can be “serious.” According to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, causing changes in the brain that can affect a child’s sleep, learning, behavior and thoughts.

According to the CDC, over time, repeated concussions can cause long-term problems with concentration, memory, balance and headaches.

Krzyś NowińskiPh.D., co-founder and CEO of the Concussion Legacy Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on concussion and CTE research, told ABC News that while he did not know the details of Tuttle and McCall’s illness, it was noteworthy that they had to retire from football now during his collegiate career.

“It’s important to remember that you only have one brain, and by playing football you are risking your long-term brain health,” Nowinski said. “So you want to make sure that when you get warning signs that your brain is losing its resilience to trauma, you turn it off before it gets too bad.”

He added of Tuttle and McCall: “It’s better for them to find a new passion than to throw their brains on the ground and have to deal with the consequences for the rest of their lives.”

Takeaways for parents and young athletes

Nowinski said he recommends that if a child is interested in playing soccer, they spend as much time as possible playing or touching the soccer ball rather than fighting against the soccer ball.

This is a recommendation repeated by the CDCwho quotes data showing that youth soccer players suffered 15 times more impacts to the head during training or a match than flag athletes.

If a child plays soccer, CDC safety recommendations include reducing team contact practices, teaching position- and age-specific tackling and blocking skills, and strictly enforcing penalties for headers.

Noting how important it is for kids to have as few concussions as possible, Nowinski also said he encourages parents, coaches and trainers to give young athletes more than enough time to recover from a concussion.

“This means being off the field for more than a week after a concussion and potentially longer than is even recommended,” he said. “And that when two concussions occur in a shorter period of time, you take a longer break.”

For young athletes who are hesitant to miss a game or practice, Nowinski said the takeaway message is: “The more (concussions) you suffer, the greater the risk that you will have to walk away from the sport.”

Leading pediatric group warns that competitive sports among young people leads to burnout and injuries

Dr. Munro Cullumconcussion expert and neuropsychologist at UT Southwestern’s O’Donnell Brain Institute told ABC News that his advice to parents and athletes is: “When in doubt, wait it out.”

“If you have questions about how you’re doing, a phrase I use with many young adults is this: ‘If you’re impaired and you’re not functioning at your best, you can’t be the best for your team,’” Cullum said. “You can’t fully support your team, so you have to let people know when something isn’t right.”

Cullum said parents and caregivers can often be the first line of defense when it comes to detecting a concussion in a child.

“I encourage parents to educate themselves about the symptoms of concussion also because some changes can be very subtle,” he said. “Their behavior may change and perhaps only a parent will notice that someone is more sullen or more anxious than before.”

In some cases, concussion symptoms may appear immediately, while in others, it may take hours or days after the injury for symptoms to appear.

Symptoms of a concussion may include dizziness, nausea, vision problems and headaches, trouble concentrating, fogginess, anxiety, sadness, nervousness or sleep disturbances. According to CDC.

As for whether a recent concussion is one too many for an athlete, Cullum said there is no “magic number.”

“We don’t know yet how many concussions are too many and for whom,” Cullum said, adding: “That’s what sets one person apart from another. There is no universal recipe that will suit everyone. One size doesn’t matter. It doesn’t fit everyone.”

Retiring college quarterbacks shed light on concussions and children originally appeared goodmorningamerica.com