Recently, much attention has been raised about the potential danger of concussions in sports. It seems that they are ever more frequent in some of the rougher sports like football and hockey.

A concussion is defined as a traumatic brain injury where a blow is taken to the head, causing it to work differently than normal. According to the University of Pittsburgh’s Department of Neurological Surgery, approximately 300,000 sports-related concussions occur each year with 60,000 of those being high school students. Additionally, the chance of getting a concussion in contact sports is 19%.

This high concussion rate has driven parents to become concerned for their children. The problem doesn’t stop there either, as some concussed athletes have been sent back into competition after perfunctory examination from their coaches.

When asked if precautions should be taken, junior Kayla LeFrancois answered, “Yes, because concussions are a serious matter and shouldn’t be taken lightly.”

That is exactly what hasn’t been done, such as college football’s new implementation of the “helmet rule”, which states if a player’s helmet comes off during play, they must sit out the next play regardless of whether they were hit in the head or not.

Senior varsity lacrosse player Alexander Skwarlo suggested, “Sports equipment should be altered to reduce the chance of concussions and rules should be added such as no helmet to helmet contact.”

Junior Bradley Frizzell explained the risk of a concussion as an athlete, and relayed, “It’s scary knowing that the possibility of a concussion is always there, but it’s one of the risks you take when committing to a sport.”

It can be extremely dangerous to receive an additional concussion while still recovering from the first, so if players are sent back into the game after being hit hard in the head, it sends the message that winning a relatively unimportant game is more important than the health and well-being of student athletes.