Head Injuries
An often overlooked aspect in sports has been the long-term impact head injuries take on an athlete’s life. There is no shortage of notable athletes who were forced into early retirement due to recurrent concussions. Many of them face long-term physical difficulties and shorter life expectancies.
Head injuries are devastating. John Mackey, a top tight end for the Colts and the first president of the NFL Players Association after the NFL-AFL merger, suffered from frontal temporal dementia, and spent the conclusion of his life in an assisted living facility. Former Bears quarterback Jim McMahon suffers from short-term memory loss and believes that his problems are related to head injuries he sustained during his career. The NFL is currently facing multi-million dollar lawsuits filed by players who claim head trauma caused long-term damage.
Two of the most famous athletes in American history may be able to pinpoint their physical declines to repeated head injuries. Muhammed Ali’s Parkinson’s disease is very likely a result of too many blows to the head during his boxing career. A 2010 report by
CNN suggested that New York Yankee legend Lou Gehrig may have been fallen victim to Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), due to head injuries he incurred during a career in an era when players did not use batting helmets.
Understanding how head injuries impact athletes' long-term health is essential. We simply don't know the repercussions of head injuries sustained by adults and children who play sports. It is best to err on the side of caution when returning from concussions.
Heart Injuries
Generally, athletes are in remarkable physical shape and look and feel indestructible. Yet, there have been so many tragic examples of young athletes suffering from heart attacks and dying of heat stroke after being pushed too hard.
According to the National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research at the University of North Carolina, dozens of football players have died from heatstroke since the mid 1990s. More than 30 of them were high school athletes. The old school mentality of "suck it up, you are fine," can be dangerous, especially for student athletes.
Sports organizations have a responsibility to safeguard the health of their players. Chief among them are head and heart injuries. Unlike sprains and breaks, we cannot always see what has happened, which makes the injuries that much more dangerous. he field?
Any athlete -- amateur or professional -- should have regular physicals that include head and heart tests.
Parents must be aware of the effects of head trauma and must take advantage of the latest advances in testing for concussions. They also must heed the advice of experts before allowing their children to compete again.
When it comes to brain injuries, it's always better to be safe than sorry.
A native of Newark, Jed Hughes is Vice Chair of Korn/Ferry and the leader of the executive search firm's Global Sports Practice.
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