What do we as a society do? We love sports and want to compete and watch them. What can be done to prevent and allow people to continue in sports that involve violent collisions? Can mouth guards help with lessening concussions and be required? When asked about the question of mouth guards for all sports, Rank replied” Yes, but to a point,you have to be specific on what the contact is in.” He referred to a policy of the American Academy of Pediatrics that states: In collision sports (eg, boxing, ice hockey, football, lacrosse, and rodeo), athletes purposely hit or collide with each other or with inanimate objects (including the ground) with great force. In contact sports (eg basketball and soccer), athletes routinely make contact with each other or inanimate objects, but usually with less force than in collision sports. In limited contact sports (eg softball and tennis), contact with other athletes or with inanimate objects is infrequent or in advertent The American Academy of neurology guidelines state for girls sports the two most common are soccer and basketball. Students and parents should be aware of the benefits of the mouth guards and use them in any sport that can cause brain damage. Bauer added, “The purpose of the mouth guard is to absorb the shock. In my opinion, it will help to deflect and absorb some of the force being taken up by the brain, however it will only help if the mouth is closed during the hit and the individual has bit down on the mouth guard.” The best preventions methods cannot and will not eliminate all head trauma. There is still risk. Bauer continues, “Because the brain floats in fluid in the skull, preventing concussions is very difficult physically. There are several products out there to aid in preventing concussions that may decrease the severity, including headbands, football helmets, and mouth guard use. The best way to prevent is education- knowing what a concussion is – being able to recognize it early.” Other changes that have helped occurred over the years in rules of competition for football. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in 1976 made tackling with the head illegal, and the number of head and neck injuries dropped by about 50%. The advances in helmet design have lessened the number of head injuries. This is in contrast to Medical News today in June of 2012 that found there was no compelling evidence that one type of helmet is better than another at protecting the athlete against concussion. The NFL will and has changed the protocols, but will continue to weigh the risks of helmets and contact to the head and fine those hits that they deem severe. Do these facts just make people aware or should more changes should made? College football put in the targeting rule this season that leading with head on defense can lead to immediate ejection from the game. Some argue that this takes away from the game and is arbitrarily enforced; yet safe guards for the teams and the league are necessary. In the NFL, fines have become stiffer for headshots and blows to the head. Will these help lessen concussions / or is violence just a part of the game? If an athlete gets a concussion, parents should seek medical care. They need a specific list of the symptoms, so that the condition can be monitored. Parent’s awareness of the extent of the injury and persistence can lead to proper treatment protocols and return to play protocols. Where do we, Redwings, go from here? How do we stay safe and still compete in sports that we as a society love to watch and play? Hein thinks that one way to be safe is to require mouth guards in all contact sports. Hein stated, “Torn ligaments can be fixed and broken bones will heal , but injuries to the brain may never completely heal and the truth is we really do not know a lot about the long term effects of concussions.” There are many unknown facts about concussion so we need to take as many precautions as we can. Hein, continues “Whatever can be done to increase the safety of the student -athlete is worth doing. Football, hockey, and boxing are the three sports that I am aware of that require a mouth guard. I think those sports were chosen because they are the sport’s most associated with head trauma. I think it is time for the various sports’ governing bodies to begin requiring mouth guards in their sports too. Soccer is one sport that comes to mind immediately.” This sounds like good advice for athletes and parents that give the option to wear a mouth guard. Chose to wear one. Protect yourself. Concussions are very serious and are going to be a part of contact sports. Bauer concludes, “If a concussion occurs, we need to know the signs and symptoms and know what action to take, for example, removing the athlete form play, following up with formal medical care, and working through a progressive return to play series.” Learning this information about concussions can help prevent the athletes in our school and our competition. People can die from concussions not just years later but often immediately from CTE. So if it’s helping one of our own or giving a helping hand it is always important to know the complications that can come out of not treating a diagnosis right. Therefore we should all work together and be cautious of concussions. It could save dreams, hopes and lives. Story By Sara Schrank This is the third part of a three part series.