Head injuries an issue
We owe it to student athletes to look out for their health, and battling concussions is a step in the right direction.
This year, football players at the University of British Columbia wore sensors behind their ears to measure the severity of the hits they received to the head. Researchers hope that the data collected will help them study the link between brain activity and concussions.
Being concussed isn’t like breaking a bone. Concussions can be difficult to diagnose and often people don’t even realize they’ve had one. As a result, sometimes athletes are unaware of the damage done and continue to play, endangering their well-being further.
Young people often think they’re invincible, and while youth makes it easier to bounce back from a lot of injuries, that’s not the case in all circumstances.
Concussions can have long-term effects on athletes’ physical and mental health. For students balancing athletics with education, concussions can present difficult obstacles to overcome within the classroom.
Preventative measures, like UBC’s sensors, could prove to be a valuable method of minimizing injuries, as it’s unlikely that we’ll stop playing contact sports anytime soon.
Educating athletes as well as spectators about head injuries can only be achieved by knowing the realities of concussions and how they affect brain functions.
The Queen’s Concussion Awareness Committee works to provide such education by raising awareness about the long-term effects of concussions.
Whether Queen’s follows UBC’s example or not, considering the importance of student athletes to the long and proud athletic tradition at Queen’s, they warrant the support needed to succeed both on and off the field.
