Second Quarter

I am very excited for my second quarter of English.. During the second quarter we will be reading stories write by Edgar Allan Poe, William Shakespeare, and the love comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream by Shakespeare

Concussion Paper

Sam Foard

Mrs. Zurkowski

Honors English 9 Yellows

5 October 2010

Concussions and Their Risks

            A concussion is a serious medical injury that occurs mostly in high school sports and the effects of a concussion can be life altering. Every year over 300,000 people suffer from concussions in high school sports (Powell). Concussions are a major issue and there should be more safety protocols for when an athlete suffers a concussion during a sport.

            A concussion is a trauma-induced change in mental statues, with confusion and amnesia, and or without the loss of consciousness (Concussions 1). It occurs when the head is hit, if an object hits the head, or if the head suddenly stops causing the brain to hit the skull (Concussions 1).  Symptoms of a concussion include confusion and disorientation, dizziness, lightheadedness, and nausea (Kelly 1). “According to the U.S. center for disease control and Prevention (DCP) as of 2005, about 1.4 million people sustain a traumatic brain injury each year I the U.S. (Concussion).

            High School football is one of the most dangerous sports that results in the most concussions per year. There are very little to no records kept of high school athletes suffering from a concussion (Powell 3). Football helmets are designed to prevent skull fractures but do almost nothing to protect the athlete from suffering a concussion (Powell 3). Each year over three hundred thousand athletes suffer a concussion in high school sports mostly due to football (Powell 3). The concussion rate of spring football is more than double the rate of regular fall football (Powell 3). “Spring training is an opportunity to injure kids.”  (Division 1 sports trainer).

            The effects of a concussion can be life altering and doctors advise that a player should rest until side effects are completely gone. Days and even weeks after a concussion a player may still be suffering from side effects of a concussion and still be at risk (Kelly). An athlete that had received many concussions may suffer side effects even years apart (Kelly). Many athletes, especially boxers and football players, have received permanent brain damage as the result of numerous concussions (Kelly). “According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as of 2005, about 1.4 million people sustain a traumatic brain injury  (concussion) each year in the United States” (Concussion).

            A common argument made is that when a player receives a concussion sitting out may hurt the team’s record. This is true because when I was playing lacrosse and received a minor concussion I had to sit out from play for a week which took a toll on out teams performance.

Even though this is true if I was to receive another concussion and of suffered permanent brain damage it would not have been worth it.

            Another argument is that concussions are only a minor injury and no big deal. Even though a minor concussion is a not a serious of an injury multiple minor concussion or a major concussion can cause bleeding in the brain which is considered a medical emergency (Concussion). Also approximately 50,000 people die each year from head related injury’s (Concussion).

            When a player receives a concussion he is at risk for suffering major injuries. A concussion is a serious medical condition and there should be greater safety protocols when an athlete receives a concussion.

Works Cited

"Concussion." World of Health. Gale, 2007. Gale Student Resources In  Context. Web. 28 Sept.     2010.

Kelly, James P. "Concussion." Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia. 2010. Grolier Online. 24             Sep. 2010 <http://gme.grolier.com/article?assetid=0069600-0>.

Powell, Shaun. " Concussions in Sports: Wake-Up Call." Newsday (Long Island, NY). 07 Jul 1996: . Sirs Researcher.Web.  15 Sep 2010.

Notes for Article 3

Article 3 Notes

• A concussion is a trauma-induced change in mental status, with confusion  and amnesia, and with or without a brief loss of consciousness.
• It occurs when the head hits or is hit by an object, or when the brain is jarred against  the skull with sufficient force to cause temporary loss of function in the  higher centers of the brain.

• According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as of 2005, about 1.4 million people sustain a traumatic brain injury (concussion)each year in the United States.
•  Of that number, approximately 50,000 people die, around 235,000 are hospitalized, and about1.1 million are treated and released from an emergency room at a hospital.
• About 300,000 people a year receive a concussion from sports
• Most of these are men between the ages of 16- 25.
• Second impact syndrome occurs when a person with a concussion, even a very mild one, suffers a second blow before fully recovering from the first.

• Second Impact syndrome can be potentially fatal.

•  In motor vehicle accidents, a concussion can occur without an actual blow to the head. Instead, a concussion occurs because the skull suddenly decelerates or stops, which causes the brain to be jarred against the skull.
• The risk of concussion from football is extremely high, especially at the high school level.
• Studies show that approximately one in five players suffer a concussion or more serious brain injury during their brief high-school careers.
• The rate at the collegiate level is approximately one in 20.

• Concussions and lasting brain damage is an especially significant risk for boxers, since the goal of the sport is, in fact, to deliver a concussion to the opponent.
• For this reason, the American Academy of Neurology has called  for a ban on boxing.
• Repeated concussions over months or years can  cause cumulative head injury. The cumulative brain injuries suffered by  most boxers can lead to permanent brain damage.

"Concussion." World of Health. Gale, 2007. Gale Student Resources In  Context. Web. 28 Sept. 2010.

Notes for Article 2

Notes for article 2

• A concussion is an injury to the brain due to physical forces that effect brain function.

• Can be caused by a direct blow to the head or by a sudden jolt to the body that shakes the head such as a car crash.

•  Symptoms of a concussion include a temporary state of confusion or a disorientation at the time of the injury, dizziness, lightheadedness, and nausea.

• Concussive injuries produce damage to the nerve-cell axons that cannot be seen on a Cat Scan or magnetic resonance imaging scans.

• Concussions can result in the tearing of blood vessels in the brain.
• The tearing of blood vessels can cause bleeding in the brain which is considered a medical emergency.
• Days and weeks after a concussion a person may have the side effects, headache, poor concentration, memory problems, sleep disturbance, irritability, and increased sensitivity to light and noise. T

• his condition is calledpostconcussion syndrome. The treatment for concussion and postconcussion syndrome is primarily rest and recuperation.

• Sustaining one concussion puts the individual at greater risk of another concussion.

• It is important to remain unactive during a concussion until symptoms are completely gone.

• Multiple concussions even years apart can cause a decline in mental function.

• Amateur and professional athletes tend to ignore the symptoms of concussion and push themselves to return to competition.

Kelly, James P. "Concussion." Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia. 2010. Grolier Online. 24 Sep. 2010 <http://gme.grolier.com/article?assetid=0069600-0>.

Research Topic Paragraphs and Key Terms

     My research topic is concussions and whether or not a player should have to sit out after receiving one. This topic can be very controversial because for some athletes who are paid to preform sitting out for a couple weeks to a year might have a major toll on their athletic career. Some key terms for this topic are concussion, brain injuries, high school sports, football, lacrosse, concussion side effects, and permanent brain damage.

Notes for article 1

• Multiple concussions can cause neurological disorders such as  Alzheimer's and Parkinson  syndrome. (2)

• According to the Brain Injury Association more that 200,000 people suffer from brain injury's while playing sports every year. (2)

• There are very little to no records kept of concussions for high school football. (2)
• Football helmets are designed to prevent against skull fractures but not against concussions. (3)

• When given a severe concussions symptoms might not even be noticiple for two to three weeks. (4)

• A concussion is a bruise to the brain caused by a sudden blow to the head. (7)
• When the head is struck the brain will hit against the inner skull. (7)
• A minor concussion  results in a temporary dizzy stage  (7)
• A major concussion can cause severe head trauma. (7)
• A "mild" or grade 1 concussion has no long term effects. (7)
• The most common dispute in concussions is whether to play again or take a break. (8)
• The rate of concussions in spring football practice is double the amount in fall football practice. (8)
• In the n.f.l. a player suffers a concussion every 3.5 games. (9)
• In football the most common play that results in a concussion is making a tackle. 43%. (9)

• The second is being tackled. 23%. (9)

• The third is blocking. 20% (9)
• The fourth is being blocked. 10% (9)

Powell, Shaun. " Concussions in Sports: Wake-Up Call." Newsday (Long Island, NY). 07 Jul 1996: B4+ . Sirs                               Researcher. Web.  15 Sep 2010.

Three Research Questions

The social issue i am writing about is concussions in high school sports and how they can have an effect on your future.


1. How long does it take to recover from a significant concussion?

2. Can concussions cause permanent brain damage?

3. What sport results in the most concussions?