tag:theconversation.com,2011:/nz/topics/youth-sports-17633/articlesYouth Sports – The Conversation2024-03-18T12:27:18Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2251492024-03-18T12:27:18Z2024-03-18T12:27:18ZChildren experience more injuries, stress and even burnout when they specialize in one sport<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582293/original/file-20240315-24-m854g4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C9%2C6019%2C3982&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Along with ankle injuries, kids focusing on one sport tend to have more shoulder and knee issues, including ACL injuries.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/hispanic-soccer-player-outdoor-in-sunny-day-having-royalty-free-image/1438631123?phrase=kid+athlete+with+injury&adppopup=true">LSOphoto/iStock via Getty Images Plus</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>From football to baseball, gymnastics to tennis, more young athletes are becoming sports specialists. They join expensive sports clubs or youth leagues and devote themselves to a single sport all year long. But <a href="https://orthosurgery.ucsf.edu/patient-care/faculty/nirav-pandya">Nirav Pandya</a>, a professor of orthopedic surgery and sports medicine at the University of California San Francisco, says there are risks when kids specialize, including an increased possibility of injury and a high burnout rate.</em></p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Dr. Nirav Pandya discusses the problems that can occur when kids specialize in one sport.</span></figcaption>
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<p><em>The Conversation has collaborated with SciLine to bring you highlights from the discussion, which have been edited for brevity and clarity.</em></p>
<p><strong>What trends do you see related to kids and sports participation?</strong></p>
<p><strong>Nirav Pandya:</strong> We’re seeing a <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/latest-global-youth-sports-market-153000303.html">tremendous number of kids</a> who are participating in sports <a href="https://www.complex.com/sports/a/morganmcdaniel1/aau-is-dominating-high-school-basketball">outside of the school setting</a>. </p>
<p>And kids are specializing in sports at younger ages. Six-, 7-, 8- and 9-year-olds are playing one sport year-round to the exclusion of other sports. </p>
<p><strong>What are the outcomes for kids who specialize?</strong></p>
<p><strong>Nirav Pandya:</strong> When kids specialize, they have a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/2325967120922764">significantly increased risk of injury</a>.</p>
<p>We also know <a href="https://publications.aap.org/aapnews/news/27833/Professionalization-of-youth-sports-can-lead-to?">70% of kids will drop out of sports</a> by age 13 if they specialize.</p>
<p>Also, in the long term, kids who specialize in a single sport perform less well in that sport and in all sports in general than <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/23259671221129594">kids who play more than one</a>. So once again, we’re really hurting kids from multiple different levels if they’re specializing. </p>
<p><strong>What is the relationship between sports specialization and injuries?</strong></p>
<p><strong>Nirav Pandya:</strong> There’s a tremendous increase in traumatic injuries. <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/acl-injury/symptoms-causes/syc-20350738">ACL tears</a> used to be something we’d see in 17-, 18-, 19-year-olds. Now, 10-, 11- and 12-year-olds get them. The rate of ACL injuries has gone <a href="https://projectplay.org/state-of-play-2023/health-trends">up 12% over the last decade</a> in this adolescent age group. </p>
<p>Based on my experience as a clinician, kids are also getting overuse injuries like knee pain and shoulder pain from doing too much of the same activity again and again. </p>
<p><strong>Are clubs and leagues costly?</strong></p>
<p><strong>Nirav Pandya:</strong> The Aspen Institute has shown that families will spend, on average, <a href="https://projectplay.org/state-of-play-2022/costs-to-play-trends">about $1,000 per year</a> for these travel or private club sports. That’s a big financial burden for a lot of families. </p>
<p>In addition, the reason why a lot of families are doing this is because they want their kids <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/betting-on-a-sports-scholarship-to-pay-for-kids-college-dont/">to get a college scholarship</a>. Colleges are very expensive, and parents think if their child specializes in a sport and plays on these club teams, they can get to that level. </p>
<p>What families don’t understand is that the average four-year college scholarship amount <a href="https://www.debt.org/students/athletic-scholarships/#:%7E">is only $14,000</a>. And of all the kids playing sports, only 2% of them are <a href="https://www.nfhs.org/media/886012/recruiting-fact-sheet-web.pdf">actually going to get a college scholarship</a>. </p>
<p><strong>Is this mainly a problem for the rich?</strong> </p>
<p><strong>Nirav Pandya:</strong> You have one group of kids who have access to sports because their families have the money and those kids are getting injured. And then you have another group of kids whose families don’t have the money to participate, and therefore there isn’t really an outlet for them to be physically active because <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s12178-021-09716-5">school funding is going down</a>. Recreational programs don’t exist. So then those kids get <a href="https://projectplay.org/youth-sports/facts/benefits">the problems of diabetes, obesity and hypertension</a>, and they carry that into adulthood.</p>
<p><strong>What can parents do to ensure their kids have a healthy relationship with sports?</strong></p>
<p><strong>Nirav Pandya:</strong> It’s important for parents to understand the data. And that’s our role as physical therapists, athletic trainers and coaches – to understand that data and give it to parents. </p>
<p>I think the second thing is also not to feel the pressure to enter the youth sports complex, <a href="https://time.com/4913687/how-kids-sports-became-15-billion-industry/">a US$15.3 billion industry</a>. Instead, donate to a community organization that is funding recreational sports, or try to push for your school to have those opportunities for your kids. </p>
<p>And finally, if your child is going to be playing travel sports or year-round sports, the parents should look at the websites of the club. Are they promoting kids to be healthy and active in a safe environment, or are they promoting kids to get a scholarship? </p>
<p><em>Watch the <a href="https://www.sciline.org/health-medicine/sports-specialization/">full interview</a> to hear more.</em></p>
<p><em><a href="https://www.sciline.org/">SciLine</a> is a free service based at the nonprofit American Association for the Advancement of Science that helps journalists include scientific evidence and experts in their news stories.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225149/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nirav Pandya does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The rate of injury for single-sport adolescents is far higher than for other kids who play a variety of sports.Nirav Pandya, Associate Professor, Pediatric Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, University of California, San FranciscoLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2223492024-02-07T13:13:04Z2024-02-07T13:13:04ZCould flag football one day leapfrog tackle football in popularity?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/573480/original/file-20240205-21-8bd16d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=12%2C6%2C2032%2C1355&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Youth flag football players run drills with their coach before a game in Dayton, Ohio, on Oct. 8, 2023.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/flag-football-team-beavercreek-raiders-run-drills-with-news-photo/1850858257?adppopup=true">Megan Jelinger/The Washington Post via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>One hundred years into the future, what if millions of people gathered every February, not to watch the Super Bowl, but to instead watch the annual world flag football championship?</p>
<p>Once a casual activity played at family reunions, the competitive sport of flag football is “<a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/2023/10/22/flag-football-why-sport-is-becoming-so-popular-with-girls-kids/71270522007/">soaring</a>,” “<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/17/sport/flag-football-nfl-olympics-cec/index.html">exploding</a>” and “<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/flag-football-popularity-girls-women/">skyrocketing in popularity nationwide</a>,” according to mainstream news outlets.</p>
<p>There’s some data behind the breathless headlines: According to the <a href="https://nflflag.com/about">NFL’s official flag football program</a>, since 2015 the number of kids ages 6 to 12 who play flag football has risen by 38%, to more than 1.5 million.</p>
<p>In my recent book, “<a href="https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-76457-9">Emerging Sports as Social Movements</a>,” I explore nontraditional sports like flag football and disc golf. One of my key findings is that splashy headlines about trendy sports rarely capture a sport’s true reach and staying power. </p>
<p>For every sport like pickleball that gains widespread, sustained popularity, there are several – <a href="https://www.usara.com/new-to-adventure-racing/whatisadventureracing">adventure racing</a>, paintball and wakeboarding – that remain firmly ensconced in their niche.</p>
<p>In the case of flag football, there are a handful of recent trends that truly do point to a promising future. But there are also some red flags that could end up hampering its growth.</p>
<h2>A fun, fast, safer alternative</h2>
<p>Though its rules are similar to tackle football, flag football is currently gaining attention for what makes it different. </p>
<p>It’s considered a no-contact sport. A “tackle” involves snatching one of two flags that hang from the hips of the ball carrier. While players face injury risks, they sustain <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/traumaticbraininjury/pubs/youth_football_head_impacts.html">far fewer head impacts</a> than athletes who play tackle football.</p>
<p>With the public’s concerns about brain injuries <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2023-01-24/youth-football-participation-declining-amid-safety-concerns">on the rise</a>, many parents are opting for flag football instead of tackle for their kids.</p>
<p>Obscurity is a powerful barrier to emerging sports. But getting noticed may not be a problem for flag football.</p>
<p>The International Olympic Committee <a href="https://www.nfl.com/partners/flag-football/">announced in October 2023</a> that flag football would be headed to the Summer Games in Los Angeles in 2028. It’s not clear yet if active NFL players can compete, but if they are eligible – and if the U.S. assembles a “<a href="https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nba/news/dream-team-roster-history-usa-1992-olympics/4o78v2slilky1inrskk8h6wkb">Dream Team</a>” like the Olympic men’s basketball team of 1992 that included superstars Michael Jordan, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson – flag football could get on the radar of millions of casual sports fans in 2028.</p>
<p>The Olympic version of flag football is fast-paced.</p>
<p>Games are shorter than a typical game of tackle football. Five players compete on 50-yard fields with 10-yard end zones for two 20-minute halves. This format made its first big appearance in the <a href="https://olympics.com/en/news/flag-football-rules-players-origins-things-to-know">2022 World Games</a> in Birmingham, Alabama, where the U.S. men won gold and the women took home silver.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">A short overview of how to play flag football.</span></figcaption>
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<h2>The NFL cultivates the grassroots</h2>
<p>Although it may come as a surprise, the NFL is embracing flag football and taking its growth seriously.</p>
<p>In 2021, the NFL and Nike committed <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/nfl-and-nike-court-a-new-football-market-girls-11612854854">US$5 million in equipment</a> to support high school flag football teams across the nation. The NFL’s <a href="https://playfootball.nfl.com/about-youth-football/find-a-league/">official flag football program</a> operates more than 1,600 local leagues and receives sponsorships from top brands like Visa, Gatorade and Subway.</p>
<p>Most NFL teams are currently supporting the grassroots of flag football with summer camps, clinics and regional tournaments.</p>
<p>During last year’s Super Bowl, an estimated 115 million viewers watched <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/videos/sports/Ad-Meter/2023/02/13/ad-meter-2023-nfl-run/11245547002/">a flag football TV commercial</a> featuring Mexican quarterback Diana Flores bobbing and spinning to evade NFL players and celebrities as they attempted to take her flag. </p>
<p>On Feb. 4, 2024, the Pro Bowl – the NFL’s annual all-star game – sidelined tackle football for the second year in a row. In its place was a 7-on-7 flag football game that aired on ESPN and ABC and streamed on ESPN+.</p>
<p>Prior to that game, on Feb. 2-3, the league also hosted the <a href="https://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-hosts-12-international-youth-flag-football-teams-at-2024-pro-bowl-games">International NFL Flag Championships</a> as part of the Pro Bowl Games, featuring young athletes from 12 countries.</p>
<h2>By the numbers</h2>
<p>Flag football may be having a moment, but the question remains: Is the sport actually experiencing a meaningful surge in participation that could extend into the future?</p>
<p>According to figures collected annually by the <a href="https://www.nfhs.org/">National Federation of High Schools</a>, 21,980 students played high school flag football in 2023. To put this number in context, however, tackle football attracted 47 times more students – roughly 1 million players – the same year. Track and field, basketball and soccer have roughly 1 million participants apiece.</p>
<p>Interest in flag football seems to be concentrated in a few regions, with roughly <a href="https://www.nfhs.org/">80% of high school players</a> living in just three states: Florida, Georgia and New York.</p>
<p>Though high school participation in flag football has <a href="https://www.nfhs.org/">increased steadily</a> since 2007, almost all the growth comes from the girls’ side.</p>
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<p>A nationwide <a href="https://sportsmarketanalytics.com/home.aspx">sports participation survey</a> finds that the number of casual players of flag football is up, but core participation is down. The study defines “casual players” as those who play fewer than 50 times per year, whereas “core players” participate 50 or more times each year.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://sportsmarketanalytics.com/home.aspx">share of Americans</a> who play casually increased by 41% between 2016 and 2022. But core participation declined by 13% during this period.</p>
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<p>For sustainable growth, nontraditional sports need to generate excitement among both core and casual players. Top-down investments and marketing strategies may attract new players, but grassroots organizing keeps them coming back.</p>
<p>Take pickleball. In recent years, the sport has generated plenty of cultural clout, with high-profile athletes like LeBron James investing in the professional circuit, and <a href="https://www.paddletek.com/blogs/news/celebrities-in-pickleball">celebrity pickleball players</a> making headlines. There has also been <a href="https://theconversation.com/pickleballs-uphill-climb-to-mainstream-success-193052">tremendous growth</a> in pickleball’s social and physical infrastructure. For these reasons, both casual and core participation in pickleball <a href="https://sportsmarketanalytics.com/home.aspx">more than doubled</a> between 2016 and 2022.</p>
<h2>Red sport, blue sport</h2>
<p>In the end, the future of flag football may hinge on the public debate over tackle football’s safety. Over the past decade, <a href="https://theconversation.com/childrens-high-impact-sports-can-be-abuse-experts-explain-why-222651">several studies</a> have found a link between repeated head impacts and the risk for serious brain injuries, <a href="https://www.bu.edu/cte/our-research/significant-research-findings/">including chronic traumatic encephalopathy</a>, or CTE.</p>
<p>Yet <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/california-youth-tackle-football-ban-clears-first-legislative-hurdle-assembly-committee-ab734/">recent efforts</a> to make tackle football safer for young athletes have been met with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1353/jsm.2019.0002">fierce resistance</a> from families, fans and organizers. In many regions of the U.S., tackle football is deeply ingrained in the culture, leading to strong opposition to any changes.</p>
<p>New rules to protect NFL players have seeped into mainstream politics. For instance, in 2019, former <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/bobcook/2019/02/03/donald-trump-who-wants-more-violence-in-the-nfl-doesnt-want-his-son-playing-football/?sh=5ffeb68a342a">President Donald Trump</a> dubbed the NFL’s concussion protocol “soft” and said that safety measures were “ruining the game.”</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Democratic state lawmakers in New York, Illinois and California have <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/sacramento/news/governor-newsom-says-he-wont-sign-bill-banning-tackle-football-for-young-kids/">introduced bills to ban tackle football for kids under 12</a>, often citing flag football as a suitable alternative. None of these bills, however, have passed.</p>
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<img alt="Two teenaged girls fight for a ball." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/573483/original/file-20240205-27-v9xcvh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/573483/original/file-20240205-27-v9xcvh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=440&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573483/original/file-20240205-27-v9xcvh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=440&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573483/original/file-20240205-27-v9xcvh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=440&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573483/original/file-20240205-27-v9xcvh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=553&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573483/original/file-20240205-27-v9xcvh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=553&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573483/original/file-20240205-27-v9xcvh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=553&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Flag football has become more popular among girls and women.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/long-beach-ca-lilianna-sarmiento-of-jordan-reaches-for-a-news-photo/1743556245?adppopup=true">Keith Birmingham/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images</a></span>
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<p>Some research shows that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/19406940.2018.1524784">Democrats are more likely to trust concussion science than Republicans</a>. Democrats also <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2021.655890">pay more attention to news about concussions</a> than Republicans. </p>
<p>As beliefs about the dangers of tackle football become polarized, the perceived benefits of flag football will likely follow suit. As I showed in a recent study of sport popularity in 207 areas of the U.S., <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/19406940.2022.2074516">flag football is more popular in regions that tend to vote Democratic</a>, with tackle football more popular in Republican areas.</p>
<p>So in addition to going after the resources needed for sustainable growth – investment, organization, visibility, legitimacy – flag football’s advocates will also need to navigate a nation divided by politics.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/222349/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Josh Woods does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The NFL’s embrace of the sport points to a promising future. But gender and political divides could stand in the way.Josh Woods, Professor of Sociology, West Virginia UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2169652023-11-08T22:30:03Z2023-11-08T22:30:03ZHockey organizations need to address the psychological impacts of team trauma, not just the physical ones<iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/hockey-organizations-need-to-address-the-psychological-impacts-of-team-trauma-not-just-the-physical-ones" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>Hockey player <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/29/sport/adam-johnson-ice-hockey-death-spt-intl/index.html">Adam Johnson’s death</a> from an on-ice skate blade incident was jarring and tragic. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/oct/29/nottingham-panthers-ice-hockey-player-adam-johnson-dies-after-freak-injury">Johnson passed away on Oct. 28</a> after being cut in the neck by another player’s skate blade during a professional hockey game in Sheffield, England.</p>
<p>Understandably, a vigorous debate has ensued about whether neck guards should be made mandatory beyond the minor hockey league level. <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/hockey-whl-nhl-adam-johnson-1.7015959">Some leagues quickly responded</a> by implementing neck guard policies and <a href="https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/38794588/nhl-nhlpa-discuss-safety-player-death-england">others might follow</a> once the issue has been filtered through the proper channels.</p>
<p>Hockey organizations have been <a href="https://cdn.hockeycanada.ca/hockey-canada/Hockey-Programs/Safety/Concussion/Downloads/hockey-canada-concussion-policy-e.pdf">responsive to physical injuries</a> in recent years, and the adoption of life-saving protective equipment is certainly important, but this is not the only conversation we should be having.</p>
<p>Organized hockey at all levels needs a strategy for unseen injuries as well. They’re often the last to heal, <a href="https://theathletic.com/5014881/2023/10/30/clint-malarchuk-adam-johnson-death/">if they do at all</a>. </p>
<h2>Lasting impacts of traumatic events</h2>
<p>Traditionally, hockey culture — the norms and behaviours that guide the sport — has shown a preference for attributes like mental toughness over emotional vulnerability. This practice can damage athletes when they’re confronted with traumatic events, which are more frequent than many realize.</p>
<p>I have spent the last four years exploring team tragedy in the youth hockey context. Alongside research team members Todd Loughead, Owen Bravo, Joe Miller and Shaun Smith, <a href="https://www.uwindsor.ca/dailynews/2020-07-13/swift-current-bus-crash-incident-inform-best-practices-teams-crisis">we have been working to understand why organized youth hockey has mishandled team tragedy</a>, the consequences of untreated trauma and, most importantly, ways to improve support systems for young athletes.</p>
<p>To that end, we conducted almost 30 in-depth interviews, starting with survivors of the Western Hockey League’s <a href="https://www.espn.com/espn/eticket/story?page=swiftcurrent&redirected=true">Swift Current Broncos bus crash</a> that took place in Swift Current, Sask. in 1986. The crash claimed the lives of four players (Trent Kresse, Scott Kruger, Chris Mantyka and Brent Ruff) and the survivors received no formal support from their head coach and general manager, Graham James.</p>
<p>James, in his role as team gatekeeper, employed the time-honoured practice of closing ranks in the face of adversity. Given <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/graham-james-sex-assault-parole-theo-fleury-sheldon-kennedy-1.3762624">James’s later conviction in junior hockey sex assaults against players</a> he coached in the 1990s, this “closing ranks” response seems not only outdated, but profoundly disturbing.</p>
<p>Players, too concerned about appearing weak, didn’t self-advocate for resources. They didn’t want to appear as “damaged goods,” particularly when they were so close to their childhood NHL dreams. Our interviews revealed that some players turned to substances to help cope with their survivor’s guilt and their unresolved mental turmoil. Others struggled because of their close relationships with their fallen teammates or because they had increased responsibilities that resulted from the deaths. </p>
<p>Players that were billeted — a reality of junior hockey — tended to fare worse because they were separated from their families, and their billet families often felt under-resourced to support them. Some players managed to sublimate their mental struggles while their hockey career lasted, but many experienced a significant, if delayed, reckoning in their late 30s.</p>
<h2>Hope on the horizon</h2>
<p>Hockey culture has drawn <a href="https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/hockey-canada-summit-puts-elite-mens-hockey-culture-under-the-microscope/">increased scrutiny</a> in recent years for failing to modernize and address toxic masculinity in the sport. <a href="https://theconversation.com/hockey-canadas-problems-show-that-the-government-needs-to-regulate-sport-in-canada-192052">Recent troubling incidents involving Hockey Canada</a> prove more can, and must, be done to improve the hockey experience. </p>
<p>Nevertheless, our interviews with youth hockey stakeholders demonstrate there is a clear desire to better support teams struck by tragedy. </p>
<p>A striking example of positive change is evident in the post-tragedy experience shared with us by Tim Barrie, director of hockey operations for the Ayr Centennials. When captain <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitchener-waterloo/eli-palfreyman-funeral-tuesday-ayr-centennials-1.6571031">Eli Palfreyman</a> collapsed during an intermission and died, the team and league insisted on supporting players with mental-health resources. </p>
<p>The team WhatsApp group chat demonstrated an environment where players and team staff felt safe to express love, sorrow and brotherhood. This stands in stark contrast to the experience of the Broncos, who largely suffered in silence.</p>
<p>The landscape surrounding mental health in youth hockey has changed. Some of this improvement is owing to likes of <a href="https://igotmind.ca/about/">Bob Wilkie</a>, a 1986 Broncos bus crash survivor that saw the system for what it was and knew it could be better. <a href="https://calgarysun.com/sports/hockey/former-nhler-wilkies-i-got-mind-mental-health-tour-helps-parents-athletes">Wilkie founded I Got Mind</a>, a program that helps young athletes and their families deal with mental illness, in 2008.</p>
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<p>What remains elusive, however, is an emergency plan that youth hockey organizations can implement once tragedy occurs. </p>
<h2>Supporting player mental health</h2>
<p>At present, responses to tragic events in Canadian hockey have been reactive and improvisational. Representatives from the Ontario Minor Hockey Association and Hockey Canada expressed that <a href="https://cdn.hockeycanada.ca/hockey-canada/Hockey-Programs/Safety/Insurance/Downloads/claim_process_e.pdf">resources are available</a> for member leagues and clubs, but there was some doubt that affected groups would know how to access them. </p>
<p>The money provided by <a href="https://hockeycanada.ca/en-ca/hockey-programs/safety/essentials/insurance">Hockey Canada’s insurance</a> for grief counselling is capped at $1,000 per team, which doesn’t go far in our inflationary times. </p>
<p>To complicate matters, Hockey Canada provides the money but not the expertise, leaving tragedy-stricken teams to search for their own grief counselling providers who can offer timely support. Given <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/radio/checkup/mental-health-service-climbs-waitlists-too-1.6798601">wait times and the scarcity of therapists</a>, particularly in rural areas, this solution seems problematic. </p>
<p>Minor hockey associations that operate in the not-for-profit space and rely heavily on volunteers are particularly shorthanded. They depend on the kindness of the communities they serve to offer resources and expertise to players.</p>
<p>A recent <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/hockey-canada-elect-new-board-of-directors-1.6689752">change in leadership</a> and direction shows Hockey Canada is serious about <a href="https://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/the-funding-is-back-but-can-public-trust-in-hockey-canada-be-restored/article_5b6e5faa-982b-5be0-bc53-71e021c41503.html">winning back the trust</a> of the public. As such, the governing body should embrace this opportunity to properly resource hockey teams in crisis by creating a mental-health unit that can be deployed across the country.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/216965/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Craig Greenham receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. </span></em></p>Hockey culture’s tendency to prefer attributes like mental toughness over emotional vulnerability can damage athletes when they’re confronted with traumatic events. This needs to change.Craig Greenham, Associate professor, Department of Kinesiology, University of WindsorLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1866992023-01-20T13:36:49Z2023-01-20T13:36:49Z5 ways pressuring young athletes to perform well does them harm<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/504049/original/file-20230111-26-50xlpy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C6000%2C3997&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Top high school athletes often face significant pressure to perform.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/team-speed-wide-receiver-ashton-cozart-before-the-under-news-photo/1246051598">Chris Leduc/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>When Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin collapsed during a Jan. 3, 2022, NFL football game, much of the public attention was on the pressures athletes face to perform despite the perils they face on the field. </p>
<p>However, as a scholar who <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=G1IEKR8AAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">specializes in youth sports</a>, I have found that this pressure often begins well before a player enters the pros – often very early in a young athlete’s life. And sometimes the biggest forces behind this pressure are coaches, peers and parents.</p>
<p>Here are five ways young athletes experience unhealthy pressure, and what those influences do to their minds and bodies.</p>
<h2>1. Harsh criticism</h2>
<p>Coaches who belittle athletes, yell and emphasize winning over personal improvement use what is known as a “<a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00572">controlling style</a>” of coaching. Rather than provide information and feedback about technique, tactics and attitude, controlling-style coaches tend to communicate objections to obvious mistakes and personal insults during crucial moments. </p>
<p>This style of coaching shifts athletes’ attention <a href="https://youthsafe.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/2018_yRed_JulyThe-influence-of-coaching-style-on-player-injury-and-participation.pdf">away from their abilities and toward mistakes</a>, a win-at-all-costs attitude, unethical behavior, injury and burnout. Many athletes <a href="https://doi.org/10.1515/hukin-2015-0047">value their coaches’ perceptions</a> more than their own self-perceptions.</p>
<p>When coaches focus on the negative, they influence their athletes to <a href="https://elevatecounselingaz.com/dont-think-of-a-pink-elephant/">do the same</a>. But it’s much more effective to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.humov.2015.11.013">tell athletes what they should do</a> with <a href="https://www.scienceforsport.com/coaching-cues/">concrete specifics</a>, like “push the ground away” or “aim for the rim.”</p>
<p>Often, these sorts of old-school controlling-style coaches <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/16138171.2020.1792076">use methods that were used on them</a> as young people, despite years of research showing such methods are dangerous. For instance, it is now known that punishing athletes with physical activity – running so-called “suicide” sprints, staying late to run laps, and dropping for 20 pushups – does more harm than good. Expending energy randomly at the end of practice <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/07303084.2010.10598479">increases the likelihood of fatigue and injury</a>.</p>
<h2>2. Peer pressure and influence</h2>
<p>Peers also follow the behavior they see from coaches.</p>
<p>Athletes who perform well in matches and within-team scrimmages find <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/19357397.2019.1581512">acceptance and opportunities for meaningful connections</a> with their teammates. For many athletes, making <a href="https://www.2adays.com/blog/5-ways-to-make-friends-outside-of-your-sport/">friendships outside of sport</a> is challenging, especially in collegiate athletics.</p>
<p>But teammates who observe and repeat <a href="https://sportsconflict.org/effects-of-bullying-in-sports">ridicule, bullying and exclusion</a> can create conflicts with other team members. As a result, their fellow athletes may approach practice not seeking to master skills, test abilities and make friends but rather to avoid conflict and targeting. Those mental and emotional distractions <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18115828">break their performance focus and consistency</a>.</p>
<p>Coaches and players who focus on athletes’ looks and weight – often in aesthetic or weight-restricted sports like gymnastics and wrestling – <a href="https://femaleandmaleathletetriad.org/body_shaming_fat_talks/">contribute to a culture of body shaming</a> that <a href="https://globalsportmatters.com/health/2019/10/09/body-shaming-athletes-a-form-of-mental-abuse">values athletes’ physical attributes</a> rather than what their bodies can accomplish. Athletes who <a href="https://journals.lww.com/acsm-tj/FullText/2016/07150/Body_Image,_Maturation,_and_Psychological.1.aspx">think that others want them to be smaller</a> or bigger than they are can <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2022.08.013">experience anxiety, depression and eating disorders</a>. Expectations like participating in public weigh-ins, avoiding sweets and wearing revealing <a href="https://www.heraldweekly.com/all-the-ridiculous-rules-nfl-cheerleaders-have-to-follow/47/">competitive uniforms</a> are common in upper echelons of sports like cheerleading.</p>
<h2>3. Parental expectations</h2>
<p>The effects of competition begin long before the start of a season, game or match. How kids feel about themselves in sports, especially after a loss, is often linked to how parents view, value and teach competition. </p>
<p>When parents pay their kids for scoring points or winning the game, they turn their kids into <a href="https://sportsconnect.com/2021/12/21/parents-please-dont-pay-your-kids-to-score-points/">selfish teammates and decrease their long-term motivation</a>. Of course, most parents can’t continue opening their wallets forever, and even students who earn scholarships to college tend to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/17461390500440889">lose their motivation</a> when they’re paid for performance.</p>
<p>Parents can behave badly when they are <a href="https://ojs.acadiau.ca/index.php/phenex/article/view/1610">looking for external signals</a> of their children’s achievements, like championship trophies, selection for elite teams, scholarships, endorsements and, now, <a href="https://businessofcollegesports.com/name-image-likeness/how-to-get-started-with-nil-a-guide-for-athletes-and-parents/">name-image-likeness deals</a>, in which student-athletes can earn money from product endorsements and advertising appearances. But those goals can conflict with children’s natural motives in sports – including to <a href="https://balanceisbetter.org.nz/self-determination-theory-what-is-it-and-what-does-it-mean-practically-for-coaches">demonstrate competence, make decisions and be with friends</a>.</p>
<p>When kids sense their parents’ stress over expectations, they shift their ideals and become more prone to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2021.102100">perfectionism</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/17461391.2021.1916080">burnout</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S1352465821000357">anxiety and depression</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S1469-0292(01)00018-8">eating disorders</a>.</p>
<h2>4. Early specialization</h2>
<p>Parents push their kids into year-round intensive training in a single sport as early as age 7. Overuse injuries, psychological stress and burnout are <a href="https://doi.org/10.4085%2F1062-6050-380-18">well-documented consequences</a> of specializing before 12. But is this necessary? Super-early training isn’t really helpful for sports whose athletes tend to peak later in life, like <a href="https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0b013e3181fb4e00">marathon runners</a>, for example.</p>
<p>Transitioning to higher levels of play during <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390%2Fijerph18147331">adolescence strengthens athletic identity</a> as training expectations expand to diet and exercise. To conform, athletes may begin using anabolic steriods, overtraining, playing through injury and restricting their diets. Encouraging a healthy diet for training purposes can translate to compulsive ingredient checking, food planning, restricted eating and other symptoms of a relatively new eating disorder: <a href="https://truesport.org/nutrition/orthorexia-nervosa-safeguard-athletes/">orthorexia nervosa</a>. </p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scispo.2014.08.133">Trying out various sports while young</a> helps athletes discover what they enjoy most, and which activities work well for their <a href="https://art-sheep.com/photographer-howard-schatz-celebrates-the-bodies-of-the-worlds-best-athletes-in-stunning-series/">body types</a>.</p>
<h2>5. Overtraining</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.childrenshospital.org/conditions/overuse-injuries">Overuse injuries</a> like “<a href="https://www.childrenshospital.org/conditions/little-league-elbow">Little League elbow</a>” and Osgood-Schlatter disease, a cause of knee pain, <a href="https://middleearthnj.org/2020/02/24/overuse-injuries-drastically-increasing-in-youth/">are becoming more common</a>. American high school athletes who specialize in just one sport are <a href="https://www.nfhs.org/media/1020399/sport-specialization-postion-statement-april-2019-final-copy.pdf">50% more likely</a> to experience an injury from overuse than people who play multiple sports – and athletes who focus on two sports are 85% more likely. High-pressure environments that expect athletes to endure injuries can lead to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.ocl.2013.06.009">long-term conditions like arthritis and tendonitis</a>.</p>
<p>In such sports as football, boxing and mixed martial arts, the culture even <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2020-044199">rewards injuries and risk-taking</a>. But when an injury forces an athlete into an early and unexpected retirement, coping with the transition is tough. Identity loss and purpose can exacerbate mental illness and even <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/10646175.2022.2073188">increase the risk of domestic violence</a>, particularly when the injury involves <a href="https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.neuropsych.17070141">mild traumatic brain injuries</a>.</p>
<p>Witnessing sports-related injuries – just as the millions of NFL fans who watched Hamlin did – has consequences for observers, too, such as psychological trauma. Symptoms, which can include intrusive thoughts linked to the injury, nightmares and anxiety, can last from a single day to more than a month. The situation can even escalate to post-traumatic stress disorder. In the coming weeks, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2019-100695">teammates who witnessed Hamlin’s collapse</a> may be up to 25% more likely to develop symptoms of psychological trauma than the rest of us. </p>
<p>That’s something to keep in mind as people watch and cheer young athletes to run faster, jump higher or score more points. The question becomes: At what expense?</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/186699/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Eva V. Monsma does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Well-publicized professional sports stars’ injuries draw attention to dangerous influences on young athletes.Eva V. Monsma, Professor, Developmental Sport Psychology, Department of Physical Education, University of South CarolinaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1782342022-08-04T19:54:29Z2022-08-04T19:54:29ZHow sport transformed the lives of young Colombians<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/477217/original/file-20220802-22-nnapcv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C8%2C2915%2C1928&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Women compete in the 20-kilometre race walk at the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in August 2016. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>A project implemented in a low-income area of Bogota, Colombia, part of the <a href="https://jsfd.org/2018/11/01/sport-for-development-and-peace-in-latin-america-and-the-caribbean/">Sport for Development and Peace</a> initiative, used <a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/washington/tokyo-olympics/how-olympic-speed-walking-works-and-what-know-2021-races">Olympic race walking</a> as a tool to foster the development of youth from low-income neighbourhoods.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.un.org/development/desa/dspd/sport-development-peace.html">Sport for Development and Peace</a> is an international movement that started with the United Nations Millennium Development Goals from 2000 to 2015, and continued with the <a href="https://sdgs.un.org/goals">Sustainable Development Goals from 2015 to 2030.</a></p>
<p>The Colombian program, which ran between 1996 and 2012 in the Ciudad Bolivar area but was discontinued eight years ago, helped underprivileged youth. The program used sport to help young people steer clear of the dangers they faced on a daily basis, including alcoholism, violence, prostitution, drug addiction, vandalism and armed gangs.</p>
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<p>As researchers from German, Colombian and Canadian institutions, we have examined how sport has transformed the lives of <a href="https://reliefweb.int/report/colombia/children-and-armed-conflict-colombia-report-secretary-general-s20211022">Colombian youth affected by armed conflict.</a></p>
<h2>50 years of Colombian armed conflict</h2>
<p>Colombia has a <a href="https://www.dane.gov.co/index.php/estadisticas-por-tema/demografia-y-poblacion/censo-nacional-de-poblacion-y-vivenda-2018/cuantos-somos">population of just over 48 million, of which 22.6 per cent are children under the age of 14.</a>
<a href="https://www.centrodememoriahistorica.gov.co/micrositios/informeGeneral/index.html">For more than 50 years</a>, the country has struggled with a war between the government and various rebel factions that has resulted in more than 220,000 deaths, 81.5 per cent of them civilians and the rest combatants.</p>
<p>According to a <a href="https://reporting.unhcr.org/sites/default/files/gr2019/pdf/GR2019_English_Full_lowres.pdf#_ga=2.261905161.507924947.1593018366-1968097325.1593018366">2019 report by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees</a>, Colombia has eight million internally displaced persons due to the conflict, the largest number in the world. A <a href="https://www.unidadvictimas.gov.co/sites/default/files/documentosbiblioteca/ninez.PDF">Colombian report</a> also found more than two million children and adolescents have been direct victims of the unrest.</p>
<p>Bogotá, the Colombian capital, has more than <a href="https://sitios.dane.gov.co/cnpv/#!/">seven million inhabitants</a> and its territory is divided among 20 localities, known as <em>localidades</em>. </p>
<p>Ciudad Bolivar is among these urban areas struggling <a href="https://revistas.uniandes.edu.co/doi/abs/10.7440/res50.2014.09">with poverty and violence</a>.<a href="http://www.sdp.gov.co/sites/default/files/indice_distribucion_recursos_fdl_17-20.pdf">It has a population of almost 700,000 people</a> in more than 200 neighbourhoods, and is located in the south of the city.</p>
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<img alt="A woman walks along a path towards a crowded urban area seen at the foot of the hills she's walking on." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/473073/original/file-20220707-10739-384zrc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/473073/original/file-20220707-10739-384zrc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=365&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/473073/original/file-20220707-10739-384zrc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=365&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/473073/original/file-20220707-10739-384zrc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=365&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/473073/original/file-20220707-10739-384zrc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=459&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/473073/original/file-20220707-10739-384zrc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=459&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/473073/original/file-20220707-10739-384zrc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=459&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">A woman walks along a path in the Ciudad Bolivar area, south of Bogota, Colombia, in 2020.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)</span></span>
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<p>This area is one of the main <a href="http://www.scielo.org.co/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1900-23862010000200008#:%7E:text=Los%20hallazgos%20de%20su%20aplicaci%C3%B3n,sobre%20la%20prevalencia%20de%20ansiedad">settlements for displaced</a> people arriving in the city.</p>
<p>Many are slum-dwellers. Although most inhabitants are <a href="https://www.urosario.edu.co/Universidad-Ciencia-Desarrollo/ur/Fasciculos-Anteriores/Tomo-IV-2009/Fasciculo-3/ur/Localidad-de-Ciudad-Bolivar/">classified as low-income</a>, 14.5 per cent are classified as <a href="http://www.sdp.gov.co/sites/default/files/indice_distribucion_recursos_fdl_17-20.pdf">people with “unmet basic needs,”</a> meaning they endure inadequate and overcrowded housing and inadequate basic services like electricity and drinking water. This includes school-age children who don’t attend school.</p>
<p>The area is also considered one of the <a href="https://www.urosario.edu.co/Universidad-Ciencia-Desarrollo/ur/Fasciculos-Anteriores/Tomo-IV-2009/Fasciculo-3/ur/Localidad-de-Ciudad-Bolivar/">most dangerous in the city</a>, with very few play spaces for children. It’s also risky for them to go anywhere alone due to the presence of street gangs and other illegal groups. </p>
<p>Finally, Ciudad Bolivar is the area in Bogotá with the highest number of children under five years old <a href="http://www.sdp.gov.co/sites/default/files/indice_distribucion_recursos_fdl_17-20.pdf">living in poverty</a> (17 per cent).</p>
<h2>Sport’s impact on young Colombians</h2>
<p>In 1996, an athletics club called the <a href="https://espanol.clonline.org/escuela-de-comunidad"><em>Escuela de comunidad</em></a> was established in the area under the responsibility of a physical education teacher. </p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">A video segment about the sports club at the <em>Escuela de comunidad</em>. (Tegwen Gadais)</span></figcaption>
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<p>From the beginning, the club received the support of the school and the community. Due to the success of the project, the Marcha Olimpica Club was born in 1999. Young athletes trained under the <a href="https://mapcarta.com/N3497085881"><em>palo del ahorcado</em></a>, an outdoor space that is meaningful to the community.</p>
<p>The objective of the program was twofold. </p>
<p>From the training point of view, the aim was to ensure young people would continue their education in order to obtain technical or professional training that would allow them to earn a living after their retirement from sports. </p>
<p>From an athletic point of view, the program aimed to support young athletes in their athletic development so they could perform to the best of their abilities and achieve important athletic results in their category at the district, national and international levels.</p>
<p>Throughout the years, several athletes qualified for the national championships and the <a href="https://inside.fei.org/fei/games/cont-regi-games/odesur">South American Games</a>. Since its creation, eight young people between 13 and 16 years old were selected to compete in the events of 800-, 1,500- and 3,000-metre Olympic race walking.</p>
<p>Six of them qualified for the national intercollegiate competitions.</p>
<h2>Spurred enrolment</h2>
<p>This initial success attracted an increasing number of youth to register in the club. Subsequently, approximately 100 young athletes began to compete and to win in various competitions, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/04/sports/olympics/olympic-racewalking-is-more-than-just-a-stroll.html">attracting the attention of the international media</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.idrd.gov.co/">The Bogotá sports authority</a> selected about 40 young people to represent the community in Colombian competition and supported them with various services (transportation, tech, food and health). About 10 of the athletes from this club became national, South American, Pan American and <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-athletics-world-m20walk-idUSKCN1AT0LR">world championship medallists.</a> </p>
<p>The goal of <a href="https://www.un.org/development/desa/dspd/sport-development-peace.html">Sport for Development and Peace</a> is to use sport as a vehicle to achieve various social and humanitarian missions: <a href="https://osf.io/preprints/sportrxiv/rjvcf/">education, social cohesion, health, reintegration, diplomacy and peace</a>. </p>
<p>Sport can serve as a lever for social integration or reintegration in developing countries or areas affected by conflict. For young people in particular, sport can be a means of instilling respect for opponents and rules, teamwork, sportsmanship, determination and discipline.</p>
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<p>Sport can also provide individual development, health promotion and disease prevention, gender equality, social integration, peace-building, conflict prevention and resolution, and disaster and trauma relief. From a development perspective, the objective is to promote sports for the masses, not elite sports.</p>
<h2>How sport can change lives and nations</h2>
<p>In practice, Sport for Development and Peace can take many forms. It can mean organizing clubs and tournaments in El Salvador to taking back territory from street gangs and getting children into school. Or it may be training coaches in the poorest neighbourhoods in Montréal to mentor children. </p>
<p>In Madagascar, sport is used to <a href="https://theconversation.com/les-activites-artistiques-et-sportives-contribuent-au-bien-etre-et-a-la-resilience-145005">keep children busy</a> after school and away from street dangers.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/les-activites-artistiques-et-sportives-contribuent-au-bien-etre-et-a-la-resilience-145005">Les activités artistiques et sportives contribuent au bien-être et à la résilience</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>It can also take the form of soccer matches between Palestinian and Israeli youth to work on social cohesion and teach them to respect each other.</p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/473074/original/file-20220707-22-ls2w6w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A Black man wears a green ball cap while shaking the hands of a white man holding a trophy." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/473074/original/file-20220707-22-ls2w6w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/473074/original/file-20220707-22-ls2w6w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=762&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/473074/original/file-20220707-22-ls2w6w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=762&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/473074/original/file-20220707-22-ls2w6w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=762&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/473074/original/file-20220707-22-ls2w6w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=957&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/473074/original/file-20220707-22-ls2w6w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=957&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/473074/original/file-20220707-22-ls2w6w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=957&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">South African rugby captain Francois Pienaar receives the Rugby World Cup trophy from President Nelson Mandela after South Africa defeated New Zealand in June 1995.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(AP Photo / Ross Setford)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>None of this is new. In 1894, <a href="https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/69149">Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympic Games, declared</a>: “I remain convinced that sport is one of the most powerful elements of peace and I am confident in its future action.”</p>
<p>But it was actually the words of Nelson Mandela that inspired the contemporary movement. <a href="https://www.globalgoals.org/news/sport-for-development-and-peace/">In a speech at the 2000 Laureus World Sports Awards, he said:</a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>“Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire, it has the power to unite people in a way that few other things can.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Indeed, <a href="https://www.history.com/news/nelson-mandela-1995-rugby-world-cup-south-african-unity">Mandela himself used the power of sport at the 1995 Rugby World Cup,</a> after the official end of apartheid, to unite the South African people — perhaps the best example of the healing nature of sport.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/178234/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Tegwen Gadais receives funding from the Québec government. He is a consultant to UNESCO and the World Bank. He is affiliated with the UNESCO Chair (cudc.uqam.ca).</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mauricio Garzon, Natalia Varela, and Victoria Calzolari Soto do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>A Colombian program to help disadvantaged youth used sport to help them steer clear of the dangers they faced on a daily basis, including violence, prostitution, drug addiction, vandalism and gangs.Tegwen Gadais, Professor, Département des sciences de l'activité physique, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM)Mauricio Garzon, Associate Lecturer, Physical Activity Sciences, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM)Natalia Varela, Professor, Family and Childhood Studies, Universidad Externado de ColombiaVictoria Calzolari Soto, Ph.D. Candidate, Social Sciences, Deutsche Sporthochschule KolnLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1876552022-08-01T12:26:47Z2022-08-01T12:26:47ZHow to keep high school athletes safe from heat illness in a brutally hot summer<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/475877/original/file-20220725-21-xc8tzu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=17%2C27%2C2268%2C1510&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Staying hydrated is part of staying safe during summer workouts.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/james-opio-and-lucas-harbaugh-in-background-drink-some-news-photo/1025049102">Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Portland Portland Press Herald via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>As temperatures rise, heat illnesses are becoming an increasing risk for athletes, particularly in the first few weeks of practice. <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=PrD8j0oAAAAJ&hl=en">Susan Yeargin</a>, an associate professor of athletic training at the University of South Carolina and co-author of the National Athletic Trainers Association’s <a href="https://doi.org/10.4085/1062-6050-50.9.07">position statement on heat illness</a>, explains the risks and what coaches and players need to remember to keep kids safe.</em></p>
<h2>Why are athletes particularly vulnerable to heat during the first few weeks of training?</h2>
<p>When an athlete of any age begins to exercise or train for a sport in hot conditions, the body needs time to adapt. In a natural outdoor environment, this is called heat acclimatization.</p>
<p>In the first three days of heat exposure, the body hasn’t started to adapt, which is why those are <a href="https://doi.org/10.4085/1062-6050-542-18">the riskiest days</a> for heat illness. Most acclimatization happens by the 10th day, but it takes <a href="https://doi.org/10.4085/1062-6050-50.9.07">about two weeks</a> for the body to reach its peak heat acclimatization.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="High school football players in shorts and minimal pads at a summer practice." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/476738/original/file-20220729-7118-pcmrpl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/476738/original/file-20220729-7118-pcmrpl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/476738/original/file-20220729-7118-pcmrpl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/476738/original/file-20220729-7118-pcmrpl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/476738/original/file-20220729-7118-pcmrpl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/476738/original/file-20220729-7118-pcmrpl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/476738/original/file-20220729-7118-pcmrpl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">There are good reasons that players start the first few weeks of preseason practice slowly.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/during-a-muhlenberg-high-school-football-team-heat-news-photo/1333572436">Ben Hasty/MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The most important change within the body is <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2019.01379">plasma volume expansion</a>, giving the body more blood to help dissipate heat and supply exercising muscles. In short, it allows the cardiovascular system to work more efficiently. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtherbio.2020.102697">rate of sweating</a> also increases, allowing more heat to dissipate from the body. The body increases its retention of salt, which is good because it allows for better electrolyte balance within the body to maintain hydration and keep muscles working optimally. The heart rate decreases, so there is less strain on the cardiovascular system. And the core body temperature decreases, representing a lower risk for exertional heat stroke.</p>
<p>But even with all of these adaptations, the body isn’t fully protected from heat illness, which is why other prevention strategies are needed.</p>
<p>Also, just because athletes have been training over the summer doesn’t mean they are fully adapted to heat under the conditions that a sport season imposes. The sports season brings new exercise intensity, often higher heat than earlier in the summer, and heavier equipment, like pads and helmets, and an increased pressure to perform.</p>
<h2>At what point do temperatures start getting dangerous for young athletes?</h2>
<p>That <a href="https://ksi.uconn.edu/prevention/wet-bulb-globe-temperature-monitoring/">varies across the country</a>. Athletes who live in milder climates should not be practicing in environmental conditions over 86.2 degrees Fahrenheit (30.1 degrees Celsius), based on <a href="https://www.weather.gov/tsa/wbgt">wet bulb globe temperature</a>. For those in traditionally hotter climates, like Texas, the recommended cutoff temperature for canceling practice is 92 F (32.2 C).</p>
<p>The risk is about more than the temperature – it’s also about humidity, sun and wind. Humidity hinders sweat evaporation, the body’s primary heat dissipation mechanism. So when humidity is high, no matter the air temperature, that creates a heat safety concern.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A young man with a bag of ice on his head." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/476737/original/file-20220729-18-j81vln.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/476737/original/file-20220729-18-j81vln.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=358&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/476737/original/file-20220729-18-j81vln.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=358&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/476737/original/file-20220729-18-j81vln.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=358&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/476737/original/file-20220729-18-j81vln.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/476737/original/file-20220729-18-j81vln.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/476737/original/file-20220729-18-j81vln.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">An athlete cools off in California during an August practice.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/norco-high-football-player-takes-a-break-from-practice-to-news-photo/1235000496">Terry Pierson/MediaNews Group/The Press-Enterprise via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Athletic trainers often use wet bulb globe temperature – which takes all four of those variables into account – to determine when teams should shorten or cancel practice and how often rest and cooling breaks should be required. It’s a better gauge of risk than the heat index, which uses only air temperature and humidity.</p>
<p><iframe id="llrYv" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/llrYv/3/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p>Anyone can check their area’s projected wet bulb globe temperature using a <a href="https://digital.mdl.nws.noaa.gov/?zoom=4&lat=37&lon=-96.5&layers=F000BTTTFTT&region=0&element=8&mxmz=false&barbs=false&subl=TFFFFF&units=english&wunits=nautical&coords=latlon&tunits=localt">National Weather Service</a> website.</p>
<h2>How can you tell when someone is suffering from heat illness?</h2>
<p>There are several conditions that fall within the realm of “heat illnesses,” but these are the primary ones:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Heat cramps, also referred to as exercise-associated muscle cramps, are caused either by dehydration and electrolyte losses or tired muscle groups. They’re easy to spot when a muscle group tightens and knots. Heat cramps can typically <a href="https://ksi.uconn.edu/emergency-conditions/heat-illnesses/heat-cramps/">be treated with</a> rest, stretching and hydration with electrolytes. If someone is complaining of cramps but the muscles are not knotted and tight to the touch, then that person could be experiencing <a href="https://ksi.uconn.edu/emergency-conditions/exertional-sickling/">an emergency condition</a> related to sickle cell trait called exertional sickling.</p></li>
<li><p><a href="https://ksi.uconn.edu/emergency-conditions/heat-illnesses/heat-exhaustion/">Heat exhaustion</a> can occur when a person is dehydrated and exercising in warm conditions. Eventually, the body is unable send enough blood to both the working muscles and the skin for heat dissipation. It will prioritize the heat dissipation, and the person either collapses or can’t continue exercising. This should be treated by placing the person in shade or air conditioning, giving them something to drink, and cooling them with fans or cold towels. If they don’t respond quickly, they may need medical attention.</p></li>
<li><p><a href="https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/heatstress/heatrelillness.html">Exertional heat stroke</a> is a medical emergency in which a person’s body temperature is over 105 F (40.6 C). Unfortunately, traditional temperature devices like oral and forehead thermometers don’t measure body temperature accurately in these situations. If a person has been exercising in warm conditions and their personality changes, they start acting weird or different or become confused, you should suspect exertional heat stroke. First responders should place the heat stroke victim in a cold water immersion tub up to their shoulders and make the water as cold as possible with ice. If that’s not available, any kind of water immersion like a baby pool, creek, tarp filled with water, or dousing should be used. EMS should be called immediately. </p></li>
</ul>
<p>An important clue in all of these heat illnesses is that the person is almost always sweating. It is a myth that the person will stop sweating; this rarely happens.</p>
<h2>What do athletic trainers recommend for keeping athletes safe in the heat, particularly in those first weeks?</h2>
<p>Teams should follow <a href="https://doi.org/10.4085/1062-6050-596-20">heat acclimatization guidance</a> to gradually increase the length of training sessions and the intensity of workouts. For example, an expert group that reviewed research on youth sports <a href="https://doi.org/10.4085/1062-6050-596-20">recommended always keeping training or practice sessions under two hours</a> and only once a day in the first week. Conditioning, such as repetitive running and timed drills, should be held in an air-conditioned area or not integrated for the first two weeks. </p>
<p>In addition, teams should pay attention to <a href="https://ksi.uconn.edu/prevention/wet-bulb-globe-temperature-monitoring/">wet bulb globe temperature</a> tables for their part of the country and avoid exercising in the hottest part of the day, generally 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://doi.org/10.4085/1062-6050-50.9.07">National Athletic Trainers Association also recommends</a>: using “<a href="https://doi.org/10.4085/1062-6050-0373.19">weight charts</a>” to help players understand how much they need to drink to stay hydrated; having on-site athletic trainers with treatment resources, such as cold-water tubs; encouraging good sleep and nutrition; and providing a safe work-to-rest ratio during conditioning and practice sessions. Breaks should be in the shade, ideally with cooling devices such as fans, misters and cold towels. If a hard or intense drill is completed, players should have an equally long break.</p>
<p>A buddy system is also beneficial. With a buddy, someone is more likely to notice when an athlete isn’t feeling well or is starting to act out of character and needs to be stopped for evaluation.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/187655/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Susan Yeargin is affiliated with Korey Stringer Institute Medical and Science Advisory Board and the NATA Foundation Research and Pronouncements Committees. </span></em></p>The first two weeks of preseason training are the toughest as players’ bodies acclimatize to running hard in the heat. An exercise scientist explains the risks.Susan Yeargin, Associate Professor of Athletic Training, University of South CarolinaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1801912022-05-11T12:05:56Z2022-05-11T12:05:56ZTop athletes have special advantages entering college, like children of alumni<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/462108/original/file-20220509-17-gw8sgn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C25%2C5559%2C3625&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Top college sports prospects get special advantages in their application and admission processes.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/near-capacity-crowd-packed-the-rose-bowl-in-pasadena-on-news-photo/1235062265">Will Lester/MediaNews Group/Inland Valley Daily Bulletin via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>In recent years, colleges have <a href="https://hub.jhu.edu/magazine/2020/spring/ending-legacy-admissions/">paid more attention</a> to complaints that their <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/20/us/amherst-college-legacy-admissions.html">admissions decisions give unfair advantages</a> to children of their alumni. Lawmakers in <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/admissions/article/2022/02/07/bill-would-cut-student-aid-colleges-legacy-preferences">Congress</a> and <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/admissions/article/2021/06/01/colorado-bars-public-colleges-using-legacy-admissions">state</a> <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/admissions/article/2022/03/14/new-york-bill-would-ban-legacy-admissions-and-early-decision">legislatures</a> are deciding whether to address the advantages given to these so-called “legacy” admissions.</p>
<p>But as a <a href="https://www1.villanova.edu/villanova/artsci/peaceandjustice/facstaff/biodetail.html?mail=rick.eckstein@villanova.edu&xsl=bio_long">scholar of higher education and intercollegiate athletics</a>, I see another group of college applicants also getting preferential treatment: recruited athletes. Recruited athletes are those who are actively pursued and invited by college coaches to join a team, unlike so-called “walk-ons,” who must try out for teams after arriving at college. </p>
<p>The advantages athletes have in college admissions received national attention in 2019. That year, the U.S. Justice Department’s “Operation Varsity Blues” announced <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/admissions/article/2019/03/13/dozens-indicted-alleged-massive-case-admissions-fraud">dozens of federal criminal charges</a> against parents, coaches and others who allegedly helped college applicants fake sporting prowess. But this alleged fraud would not have been possible without the <a href="https://theconversation.com/college-admission-scandal-grew-out-of-a-system-that-was-ripe-for-corruption-113439">systemic admissions advantages</a> already afforded recruited athletes, who tend to be <a href="https://www.rutgersuniversitypress.org/special-admission/9781978821200">whiter, wealthier and more suburban</a> than the average college applicant.</p>
<h2>Streamlined admissions</h2>
<p>There are three main ways that college admissions practices significantly advantage recruited athletes over academically superior applicants.</p>
<p>The first is a streamlined, hassle-free application process. In her 2021 book,“<a href="https://www.rutgersuniversitypress.org/special-admission/9781978821200">Special Admission</a>,” <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=5H0MUckAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">Kirsten Hextrum</a>, an education professor at the University of Oklahoma, found that recruited athletes were largely chaperoned through the admissions process by athletics staff. This included staff filling out forms for the recruit, hand-delivering application materials to admissions staff and advocating for increased financial aid. </p>
<p>I had similar findings in my own <a href="https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781442266285/How-College-Athletics-Are-Hurting-Girls-Sports-The-Pay-to-Play-Pipeline">research on college and youth sports</a>. A recruited soccer player told me she only ever heard from the coaching staff between submitting her application materials – to the coaches – and the first day of practice. This included the notification of her acceptance to the school, which normally comes from the admissions office. College officials told me that this service was common for recruited athletes but rare for nonathletes. </p>
<h2>Overlooking academic shortcomings</h2>
<p>A second advantage is that admissions officers at the most elite schools have historically ignored below-average grades and standardized test scores for athletes, but not for other groups.</p>
<p>A study in the early 2000s <a href="https://press.princeton.edu/books/paperback/9780691096193/the-game-of-life">found that athletes</a> recruited to Ivy League universities tended to have significantly lower SAT scores than their nonathlete classmates.</p>
<p>Talented nonathletes, like musicians and actors, were not given similar leeway in their test scores during admissions decisions. <a href="https://press.princeton.edu/books/paperback/9780691123141/reclaiming-the-game">The data</a> specifically showed that athletes with below-average standardized test scores were twice as likely to be admitted as legacy applicants and four times more likely to be admitted as applicants from traditionally underrepresented groups. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/462310/original/file-20220510-20-7xzfbq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A man and a woman look to the right of the frame" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/462310/original/file-20220510-20-7xzfbq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/462310/original/file-20220510-20-7xzfbq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/462310/original/file-20220510-20-7xzfbq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/462310/original/file-20220510-20-7xzfbq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/462310/original/file-20220510-20-7xzfbq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/462310/original/file-20220510-20-7xzfbq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/462310/original/file-20220510-20-7xzfbq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Actor Lori Loughlin and her husband, clothing designer Mossimo Giannulli, left, depart a federal court in Boston on April 3, 2019, after a hearing on charges in a nationwide college admissions bribery scandal.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/CollegeAdmissionsBribery/1c7c6f91e61441e2a1e203e5882c90f5/photo">AP Photo/Steven Senne</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Athlete recruitment and early decision</h2>
<p>Another admissions advantage offered recruited athletes is almost guaranteed acceptance and roster placement if the applicant uses a school’s early decision process.</p>
<p>Journalist Daniel Golden’s 2005 book, “<a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/68794/the-price-of-admission-updated-edition-by-daniel-golden/">The Price of Admissions</a>,” was among the first detailed accounts of how this privilege operates in practice. Focusing mostly on rowing programs, Golden exposed the streamlined admissions process afforded to recruited athletes but not to applicants with other nonacademic talents. </p>
<p>In their more recent books, former admissions officer <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/09/10/magazine/college-admissions-paul-tough.html">Paul Tough</a> and investigative reporter <a href="https://jeffselingo.com/books/who-gets-in-and-why/">Jeffrey Selingo</a> shared firsthand accounts of how athletes were given an added boost during the early admission process. One of the strategies used was to provide early reads of athlete applications that all but guarantee admission so long as the applicant used the school’s early decision process. Nonathletes applying through the early decision process also enjoyed <a href="https://jeffselingo.com/books/who-gets-in-and-why/">higher acceptance rates</a> than students applying in the regular decision process, but not as much as athletes.</p>
<h2>Athletics and institutional survival</h2>
<p>Recruited athletes are not just members of sports teams. They are also increasingly integral to the very survival of many colleges, especially smaller liberal arts colleges.</p>
<p>Newly published research in the <a href="http://csri-jiia.org/the-role-of-athletics-in-the-future-of-small-colleges-an-agency-theory-and-value-responsibility-budgeting-approach/">Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics</a> shows that smaller schools are increasingly relying on expanded sports programs to maintain enrollments and keep from closing. At some schools, <a href="http://csri-jiia.org/the-role-of-athletics-in-the-future-of-small-colleges-an-agency-theory-and-value-responsibility-budgeting-approach/">athletes comprise more than half of the student body</a>. Without athletes, these schools would probably shut down.</p>
<p>This <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/higher-ed-gamma/can-these-colleges-be-saved-0">survival strategy</a> means schools are continually competing with each other for athletes by spending more on coaches, sports facilities and recruitment. This requires shifting institutional resources away from nonathletic areas, including academics. It also encourages colleges to give top athletes advantages in the admissions process.</p>
<p>Reflecting this trend, data from the <a href="https://www.ncaa.org/sports/2018/10/10/ncaa-sports-sponsorship-and-participation-rates-database.aspx">NCAA</a> and the <a href="https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d18/tables/dt18_303.10.asp">National Center for Educational Statistics</a> show that, between 2000 and 2020, the number of intercollegiate athletes increased 45%. During that period, the number of full-time undergraduates increased only 33%. At small liberal arts colleges, the number of varsity athletes increased 55% over that same period. </p>
<h2>The myth of college sports and diversity</h2>
<p>Admitting more varsity athletes does little to improve the diversity of social class or racial or geographical diversity in higher education. Except in football, basketball and track, college varsity athletes are disproportionately <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-some-college-sports-are-often-out-of-reach-for-students-from-low-income-families-167334">white, wealthy and suburban</a>. Those sports comprise <a href="https://www.ncaa.org/sports/2018/10/10/ncaa-sports-sponsorship-and-participation-rates-database.aspx">less than one-third</a> of all college athletes and only 22% of women athletes.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, the same <a href="https://www.ncaa.org/sports/2018/12/13/ncaa-demographics-database.aspx">NCAA data</a> shows that only 4% of women’s varsity soccer players and 2% of field hockey players identify as Black, despite Black women comprising <a href="https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/cha">14% of full-time undergraduates</a>. Rowing and ice hockey, the two fastest-growing women’s college sports, have, respectively, <a href="https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/cha">2% and 0% of participants</a> identifying as Black.</p>
<p>Colleges’ increased recruitment of athletes has also spawned an enormous suburban youth sports industry that feeds this increased demand and exacerbates social inequality. My own <a href="https://theconversation.com/until-youth-soccer-is-fixed-us-mens-national-team-is-destined-to-fail-85585">research</a> identifies so-called “showcase” tournaments and meets as the key interface between college athletics recruitment and hyper-commercialized youth sports. </p>
<p>Accessing these events requires a family to invest thousands of dollars annually in club and travel sports for their kids. If colleges choose to recruit at these exclusive and expensive events rather than in high schools, intercollegiate sports – and its admissions advantages – will continue to reinforce existing class, racial and geographic inequalities, likely far more than legacy admissions advantages.</p>
<p>[<em>More than 150,000 readers get one of The Conversation’s informative newsletters.</em> <a href="https://memberservices.theconversation.com/newsletters/?source=inline-140K">Join the list today</a>.]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/180191/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rick Eckstein does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>College admissions advantages for recruited athletes likely perpetuate educational inequality even more than those given to children of alumni.Rick Eckstein, Professor of Sociology, Villanova UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1731262022-01-18T13:40:37Z2022-01-18T13:40:37ZWhy massive new youth sports facilities may not lead to the tourist boom many communities hope for when they build them<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/440718/original/file-20220113-15-5qibqj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C104%2C5256%2C3464&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Grand Park, a multi-use sporting facility in Westfield, Ind., was built to lure youth sports competitions and tourists to the region.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/VirusOutbreakYouthSports/8439fc4e7ca34abf913041c963c1f82c/photo?Query=grand%20park%20indiana&mediaType=photo&sortBy=arrivaldatetime:desc&dateRange=Anytime&totalCount=33&currentItemNo=16">AP Photo/Michael Conroy</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>The <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/research-brief-83231">Research Brief</a> is a short take about interesting academic work.</em> </p>
<h2>The big idea</h2>
<p>Parents who travel with their kids to compete in regional sports tournaments tend to be too focused on the competition to turn them into family vacations and spend like tourists, according to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdmm.2021.100644">our recently published research</a>. This is bad news to the many <a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/opinion/-ct-ptb-davich-youth-sports-tourism-st-0918-20170917-story.html">communities that spend millions of dollars</a> on state-of-the-art sports facilities to host such tournaments in hopes of recouping the costs in increased economic activity. </p>
<p>For our study, we conducted in-depth interviews with 33 parents of children who play youth sports, whether it’s baseball, soccer or swimming. The parents lived in Florida and Indiana, and we found them by reaching out to local sports clubs and event venues. We asked them questions about how they planned for out-of-town sports competitions, the activities they engaged in while there and what drives those decisions.</p>
<p>Overall, we found that parents said they were just too busy with the sporting event and supporting their children to do anything else. In the interviews, the typical youth sports trip was described as within driving distance of home, one to two nights in duration and mostly spent at the athletic venue.</p>
<p>Since destinations are decided by team managers seeking relevant competitions for their athletes, they may not be places that lend themselves to family vacations. As a result, the economic impact to a local community seems to be limited to the event’s organizers, nearby hotels and local restaurants.</p>
<p>“It’s all about the competition, so it doesn’t really matter,” one parent said, referring to local non-sport activities.</p>
<h2>Why it matters</h2>
<p>The US$15 billion youth sports travel industry is largely premised on <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/12/sports/youth-sports-costs.html">the idea</a> that families turn tournament trips into extended vacations that result in a boost of economic activity. In other words, <a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/opinion/-ct-ptb-davich-youth-sports-tourism-st-0918-20170917-story.html">if you build it</a> – a big sports complex – they will come – and spend lots of money. </p>
<p>This practice can turn into something of an arms race as <a href="https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/2019/04/19/des-moines-cownie-soccer-park-youth-sports-tournament-where-to-play-soccer-central-iowa-fields/3424657002/">neighboring communities build new stadiums</a> and other facilities to attract a finite number of big tournaments.</p>
<p>[<em>Like what you’ve read? Want more?</em> <a href="https://memberservices.theconversation.com/newsletters/?source=inline-likethis">Sign up for The Conversation’s daily newsletter</a>.]</p>
<p>Our findings suggest the assumption that these investments lead to a significant boost in economic activity – especially through local tourism – may be mistaken. And separately, <a href="https://twitter.com/sarcasticmommy4/status/537703895032537088">tweets</a> from <a href="https://twitter.com/travel_parent/status/1003384028207214593">young athletes’ parents</a> seem to <a href="https://twitter.com/jayystone25/status/1018331189327917056">provide further support</a> that attending away games and camps is not about tourism or fun. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"537703895032537088"}"></div></p>
<h2>What still isn’t known</h2>
<p>While we have qualitative data that helps us better understand the decisions parents make when they take sport trips with their children, we don’t know how representative those 33 families are. And we don’t have quantitative data that definitively shows whether investments in these facilities pay off or not.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/173126/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Richard Buning receives funding from Hamilton Country Tourism.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Cassandra Coble receives funding from Hamilton County Tourism. </span></em></p>New research suggests parents are too focused on their children’s competition to spend time or money on things that don’t involve the tournament, hotel stays or quick dining.Richard Buning, Senior Lecturer in Tourism, School of Business, The University of QueenslandCassandra Coble, Clinical Associate Professor of Sport Management, Indiana UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1583472021-06-25T12:20:38Z2021-06-25T12:20:38ZYouth sports and other challenges of a nonbinary world – 3 essential reads<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/406209/original/file-20210614-130393-1etbin9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C11%2C7315%2C4891&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The issue of trans rights was bound to butt up against realms of American society separated by gender.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/traffic-light-in-central-london-royalty-free-image/918973026?adppopup=true">Jon Cartwright/Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>While recognition and acceptance of people who don’t identify as strictly male or female is growing, many aspects of American society, from <a href="https://theconversation.com/for-linguists-it-was-the-decade-of-the-pronoun-128606">language</a> to <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-case-for-boosting-wnba-player-salaries-100805">sports</a> to <a href="https://theconversation.com/can-we-tie-unisex-fashion-trends-to-gender-equality-46720">fashion</a>, remain structured or separated by gender.</p>
<p>So when people decide to change genders – or not identify with a gender at all – it can create a host of administrative, legal and ethical challenges.</p>
<p>At The Conversation U.S., we asked scholars from different disciplines to explore what happens when trans people try to assert their rights in a binary society.</p>
<h2>1. The bathroom brouhaha</h2>
<p>A few years ago, public restrooms were the focal point of transgender rights, with support for “<a href="https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/explaining-bathroom-bills-transgender-rights-and-equal-protection">bathroom bills</a>” – legislation that requires people to use the public restroom of their sex assigned at birth – serving as a barometer of conservative credentials. Most of the legislation that was proposed ended up dying out, <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/03/01/468732723/south-dakota-s-transgender-bathroom-bill-hits-deadline-for-governor">vetoed</a> or <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2017/03/30/north-carolina-lawmakers-say-theyve-agreed-on-a-deal-to-repeal-the-bathroom-bill/">repealed</a>.</p>
<p>That might be because, from a public policy point of view, policing bathrooms is almost impossible, while it’s difficult to argue that letting trans people use the bathroom of their choice infringes on anyone’s rights. </p>
<p>Plus, the practice of separating bathrooms by sex in the first place was grounded in beliefs that would strike most people as outdated. As law professor Terry S. Kogan has written, it emerged out of <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-did-public-bathrooms-get-to-be-separated-by-sex-in-the-first-place-59575">the “separate spheres” ideology of the 19th century</a>, which advanced the view of women as “inherently weaker” and needing “protective, home-like havens” in public places, whether it was at restaurants, at the workplace or in restrooms.</p>
<p>But the issue of trans rights was bound to butt up against other realms of American society separated by gender. Arguably none is more complicated than sports. </p>
<h2>2. Sports a trickier matter</h2>
<p>Unlike bathrooms, the rationale for separating sports leagues by sex isn’t based on obsolete cultural norms; instead, <a href="https://web.law.duke.edu/sites/default/files/centers/sportslaw/comparingathleticperformances.pdf">it’s grounded in science</a>. Meanwhile, the existence of funding for separate male and female sports teams at the amateur level, <a href="https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/interath.html">enshrined in Title IX of the Civil Rights Act</a>, represents a triumph of the women’s rights movement.</p>
<p>As ethics and public policy professor <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=aOL3qs8AAAAJ&hl=en">Chris W. Surprenant</a> explains, trans girls and women – those assigned male at birth but who transition – possess a competitive advantage against biological girls and women. </p>
<p>“This advantage isn’t simply a difference in degree,” <a href="https://theconversation.com/striking-a-balance-between-fairness-in-competition-and-the-rights-of-transgender-athletes-159685">Surprenant writes</a>. “It’s not just that male athletes are bigger, faster and stronger. It’s a difference in kind. Pound for pound, male bodies are more athletic.”</p>
<p>“Few would care about how to best accommodate transgender athletes if they were not winning events,” he adds. “But that’s exactly what has happened.” Most famously, two trans females, Terry Miller and Andraya Yearwood, competed in the Connecticut women’s high school track championships in 2017, coming in first and second place, respectively, <a href="https://www.espn.com/espnw/story/_/id/29347507/the-battle-title-ix-gets-woman-sports-raging-national-debate">in the 100-meter dash</a>. </p>
<p>While such examples are rare – <a href="https://apnews.com/article/lawmakers-unable-to-cite-local-trans-girls-sports-914a982545e943ecc1e265e8c41042e7">as are trans athletes in general</a> – they pose a dilemma: how to balance the humanity of individuals who strive to compete alongside those who share their gender, and fairness in competition.</p>
<p>To Surprenant, there are no easy answers. He lists the problems with proposed solutions – from <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-race-to-replace-the-binary-of-mens-and-womens-sports-11583769636">testosterone-based handicapping</a> to <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-it-might-be-time-to-eradicate-sex-segregation-in-sports-89305">replacing gender divisions entirely with ability-level divisions</a> – before arriving at one that he thinks best serves all parties involved: eliminate “men’s” divisions and replace them with “open” divisions. </p>
<p>Any athlete could be allowed to compete in an open division. This better accommodates women – <a href="https://news.vanderbilt.edu/2021/02/18/kicking-down-barriers-sarah-fuller-makes-history-as-kicker-for-vanderbilt-football-team/">like Vanderbilt placekicker Sarah Fuller</a> – who are already competing alongside men, while giving coaches and organizers the opportunity to evaluate trans athletes on a case-by-case basis.</p>
<p>He continues:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“For trans women athletes, at issue is their athletic ability, not their womanhood. If a tournament organizer determines that a trans woman athlete is too good to compete against other women because of her biological advantage, requiring her to compete in an ‘open’ division does not undermine her humanity. Instead, this acknowledges – and takes seriously – that she identifies as a woman, but that respect for the principles of fair competition requires that she not be allowed to compete in the women’s division.”</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>3. Legislators pull from an old playbook</h2>
<p>Unfortunately, threading the needle and trying to remain sensitive to all sides doesn’t exactly jibe with the country’s charged, polarized politics.</p>
<p>Conservative legislators are pointing to the success of trans female athletes like Miller and Underwood to try to ban all trans athletes from competing in a division that doesn’t correspond with their birth sex.</p>
<p>It isn’t just youth sports being targeted. Bills restricting trans youth access to specialized health care, <a href="https://tucson.com/news/local/dueling-bills-would-allow-prevent-nonbinary-gender-ids-on-arizona-licenses/article_486d02f6-e4d5-54fe-befa-e68c6fb3ba22.html">limiting which gender can appear on state-issued IDs</a> and <a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2021/02/16/parents-would-need-to-consent-to-gender-identity-curriculum-under-senate-bill/">mandating parental notification when teachers discuss LGBTQ issues</a> are all being debated. As of April 2021, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/15/politics/anti-transgender-legislation-2021/index.html">33 states had introduced more than 100 bills</a> seeking to curb the rights of transgender people.</p>
<p>University of Oregon political scientist Alison Gash sees conservatives pulling from an old playboook. For decades, she argues, they’ve passed anti-LGBTQ legislation or blocked anti-discrimination ordinances by appealing to the vulnerabilities of children. </p>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/anti-transgender-bills-are-latest-version-of-conservatives-longtime-strategy-to-rally-their-base-158296">Gash explains how</a>, in the 1970s, singer and anti-gay rights activist <a href="https://www.wbur.org/npr/733537421/the-culture-wars-live-on-between-the-lgbtq-movement-and-the-religious-right">Anita Bryant</a> honed a template that would be mimicked, in various forms over the years, to oppose LGBTQ rights. </p>
<p>“Bryant’s ‘Save our Children’ campaign demonized gays and lesbians as ‘recruiting children’… and successfully encouraged voters to oppose legislative attempts to protect gays and lesbians from discrimination,” Gash writes. Bryant’s campaign also “prompted Florida legislators to bar same-sex couples from adopting children.”</p>
<p>Today, it’s more of the same.</p>
<p>During the bathroom bill debates, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s13178-018-0335-z">some politicians argued</a> that girls and women would become vulnerable to predatory men who dress up as women.</p>
<p>In the case of the most recent transgender legislation, the handful of trans kids who win events and the <a href="https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/949842">relatively small number of teenagers who regret their transition</a> are being held up as justification for sweeping legislation and large-scale bans, all under the guise of “<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2021/05/10/anti-trans-legislation-has-never-been-about-protecting-children/">protecting children</a>.”</p>
<p>At the same time, discussing real or potential challenges that arise involving transgender youth – whether it’s a trans athlete who wins an event, pointing out that <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/60-minutes-transgender-health-care-issues-2021-05-23/">some young people may have been allowed to medically transition too soon</a> or questioning <a href="https://theconversation.com/doctors-treating-trans-youth-grapple-with-uncertainty-lack-of-training-159186">how much is really understood about the long-term effects of certain treatments</a> – can be seen as giving fodder to legislators who are looking to score political points. </p>
<p>As more and more transgender teens become visible, there are still complicated and unresolved societal issues, ones barely present a generation ago. And these conflicts and debates show little sign of abating anytime soon.</p>
<p><em>Editor’s note: This story is a roundup of articles from The Conversation’s archives.</em>
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<p><em><strong>Transgender youth.</strong> This article is part of <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/trans-youth-2021-102529">a series</a> exploring the social and medical issues of transgender children and their families. Sign up for a <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters/transgender-youth-77/">four-email newsletter “course”</a> to learn about the latest research on trans youth.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/158347/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
Many aspects of American society, from language to sports to fashion, remain structured or separated by gender.Nick Lehr, Arts + Culture EditorLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1596852021-05-18T12:25:13Z2021-05-18T12:25:13ZStriking a balance between fairness in competition and the rights of transgender athletes<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401049/original/file-20210517-19-12hq96j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=208%2C137%2C1830%2C1321&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Few Americans would care about how to best accommodate transgender athletes if they weren't winning events.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/running-athlete-illustration-stock-illustration-royalty-free-image/1190057116?adppopup=true">J_art via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/11/sports/transgender-athletes-bills.html">In a majority of U.S. states</a>, bills aiming to restrict who can compete in women’s sports at public institutions have either been signed into law or are working their way through state legislatures. </p>
<p>Caught up in this <a href="https://theconversation.com/anti-transgender-bills-are-latest-version-of-conservatives-longtime-strategy-to-rally-their-base-158296">political point-scoring</a> are real people – both trans athletes who want to participate in competitive sports and those competing against them.</p>
<p><a href="http://chriswsurprenant.com/">As a professor of ethics and public policy</a>, I spend much of my time thinking about the role of the law in protecting the rights of individuals, especially when the rights of some people appear to conflict with the rights of others.</p>
<p>How to accommodate transgender athletes in competitive sports – or whether they should be accommodated at all – has become one of these conflicts. </p>
<p>On one side are transgender athletes who want to compete in the gender division with which they identify. On the other are political activists and athletes – especially biologically female athletes – who believe that allowing trans athletes to compete in women’s divisions <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/caitlyn-jenner-says-transgender-girls-women-s-sports-unfair-n1266138">is inherently unfair</a>. </p>
<p>So why is this issue so fraught? What’s so special about women’s sports? Why do women’s divisions even exist? And is it possible to protect women’s sports while still finding a way to allow transgender athletes to compete in a meaningful way?</p>
<h2>Winners elicit outcry</h2>
<p>Let’s be clear: Few Americans would care about how to best accommodate transgender athletes if they were not winning events. </p>
<p>But that’s exactly what has happened. In 2017 and 2018, Terry Miller, a trans woman, <a href="https://www.espn.com/espnw/story/_/id/29347507/the-battle-title-ix-gets-woman-sports-raging-national-debate">won the Connecticut women’s high school track championships</a> in the 55-meter, 100-meter, 200-meter and 300-meter events. Her closest and only real competitor those two years was <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2810857-andraya-yearwood-knows-she-has-the-right-to-compete">Andraya Yearwood</a>, who is also a trans woman. </p>
<p>In 2017 and 2018, Mack Beggs, a trans man, dominated the Texas 6A 110-pound girls wrestling division, capturing two state championships while compiling a record of 89 wins and 0 losses. Unlike in Connecticut, <a href="https://www.transathlete.com/k-12">where athletes may compete as they identify</a>, athletes in Texas <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2016/02/26/birth-certificates-determine-student-athlete-gende/">must compete in the gender listed on their birth certificate</a>.</p>
<p>While Miller, Yearwood, Beggs and others have triumphed in their respective sports, the number of transgender high school athletes <a href="https://apnews.com/article/lawmakers-unable-to-cite-local-trans-girls-sports-914a982545e943ecc1e265e8c41042e7">is very low</a>. Nor is there any evidence that athletes have transitioned for the purpose of gaining a competitive advantage. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Four sprinters run at an indoor track meet." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401062/original/file-20210517-21-km9t86.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401062/original/file-20210517-21-km9t86.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401062/original/file-20210517-21-km9t86.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401062/original/file-20210517-21-km9t86.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401062/original/file-20210517-21-km9t86.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401062/original/file-20210517-21-km9t86.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401062/original/file-20210517-21-km9t86.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Bloomfield High School transgender athlete Terry Miller, second from left, wins the final of the 55-meter dash over transgender athlete Andraya Yearwood, far left, at a Connecticut girls Class S indoor track meet in 2019.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/TransgenderAthletesHighSchool/bf19d959b3c24a53b4d315f9a26f8ddc/photo?Query=title%20AND%20ix&mediaType=photo&sortBy=arrivaldatetime:desc&dateRange=Anytime&totalCount=181&currentItemNo=2">AP Photo/Pat Eaton-Robb</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Yet some legislators have latched onto these examples, using them as a basis for bills that ban all transgender teens from participating in gendered divisions that differ from their birth sex. But these bills don’t solve the competitive imbalances that can occur with athletes like Beggs. Worse, they might prevent transgender teens from competing altogether.</p>
<h2>Sports matter – with meaningful participation</h2>
<p>Since studies have shown that kids who participate meaningfully in athletics <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.3390%2Fijerph16183392">have better mental and physical health</a> <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11928872/">than their peers who don’t</a> – and teens who identify as transgender <a href="https://www.healio.com/news/psychiatry/20201028/transgender-adolescents-at-increased-risk-for-numerous-mental-health-challenges">are at a significantly greater mental health risk</a> than their peers – it’s a worthy goal to try to accommodate their desire to compete.</p>
<p>The phrase “participate meaningfully” is important. Someone who, for example, is nominally on a team but does not take the sport seriously does not participate meaningfully in competitive sports. Similarly, someone who takes a sport seriously but easily dominates all competition also does not participate meaningfully in competition. </p>
<p>Youth sports organizations exist because we don’t believe kids should compete against adults, and kids are further separated by age because age, for children, is a reasonably good proxy for skill and ability. Organizations like the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-trump-administrations-attempts-to-defund-the-special-olympics-explained-114501">Special Olympics</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/global-disabilities-map-visualizes-the-strength-and-power-of-millions-of-athletes-around-the-world-147723">Paralympics</a> exist to provide opportunities for people with physical and mental disabilities to participate meaningfully and compete against people with similar skill sets. </p>
<p>Male and female athletes are separated for the same reason. </p>
<p>[<em>The Conversation’s science, health and technology editors pick their favorite stories.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters/science-editors-picks-71/?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=science-favorite">Weekly on Wednesdays</a>.]</p>
<h2>The rise of women’s sports</h2>
<p>In 1972, the U.S. Congress extended <a href="https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/tix_dis.html">Title IX of the Educational Amendments to the 1964 Civil Rights Act</a> to prohibit discrimination in all federally funded education programs, <a href="http://bailiwick.lib.uiowa.edu/ge/historyRE.html">including their associated athletics programs</a>.</p>
<p>Title IX’s impact on athletics for women and girls – and, as a result, U.S. culture – <a href="https://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/media-center/news/more-college-students-ever-are-student-athletes">has been nothing short of dramatic</a>. In 1970, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1162/rest.2010.11623">fewer than 5%</a> of U.S. girls participated in high school sports. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1162/rest.2010.11623">Now 43% of high school girls</a> participate in competitive sports.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Hillary Clinton stands behind a lectern to deliver a speech." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401069/original/file-20210517-19-1kmhzgr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401069/original/file-20210517-19-1kmhzgr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=483&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401069/original/file-20210517-19-1kmhzgr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=483&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401069/original/file-20210517-19-1kmhzgr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=483&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401069/original/file-20210517-19-1kmhzgr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=607&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401069/original/file-20210517-19-1kmhzgr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=607&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401069/original/file-20210517-19-1kmhzgr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=607&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks at an event celebrating the 40th anniversary of Title IX in 2011.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/WorldCupClinton/c51e3575bfe642e0a9fc6eb8655333b9/photo?Query=title%20AND%20ix&mediaType=photo&sortBy=arrivaldatetime:desc&dateRange=Anytime&totalCount=181&currentItemNo=147">AP Photo/Alex Brandon</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Separating athletes by biological sex is necessary because the gap between the best male and female athletes – at all levels – is dramatic.</p>
<p>Serena Williams is not only one of the best female tennis players in history, she’s one of the best female athletes in history. In 1998, both Serena and her sister Venus famously claimed that no male ranked outside of the ATP Top 200 could beat them. Karsten Braasch, the 203rd-ranked player ATP player at the time, challenged each to a set. Braasch beat Serena 6-1 and Venus 6-2. </p>
<p>“I didn’t know it would be that difficult,” <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/transgender-threat-womens-sports-opinion-1540418">Serena said after the match</a>. “I played shots that would have been winners on the women’s circuit, and he got to them very easily.”</p>
<p>At the 2019 New Balance Nationals Outdoor, the national track championship for U.S. high school students, Joseph Fahnbulleh of Minnesota won the men’s 100-meter with a time of <a href="https://www.nbnationalsout.com/eprofile.php?do=title&title_id=693&event_id=3689">10.35 seconds</a>. That same year, Olympic Gold Medal winner Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce ran the fastest 100-meter time of any female in the world – <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/30/sport/doha-world-championships-shelly-ann-fraser-pryce-spt-intl/index.html">10.71 seconds</a>. Her time would have tied for 19th at that U.S. boys high school event.</p>
<p>One more example that’s a bit different: In 2012, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/highschools/keeling-pilaro-cant-play-field-hockey-with-girls-but-he-and-episcopal-help-each-other/2014/10/22/b5b70b82-5475-11e4-809b-8cc0a295c773_story.html">Keeling Pilaro</a>, a 4-foot-8, 80-pound seventh grade boy, petitioned the New York State Public High School Athletic Association to play field hockey on his school’s all-female team. It approved his petition. </p>
<p>As a seventh grader, Pilaro made the school’s JV team. As an eighth grader, he made the varsity team. But players and coaches from other schools argued he had a significant advantage because he was a boy. During the summer before his ninth grade year, the league agreed. It ruled Pilaro could no longer participate because his “advanced field hockey skills” had “adversely affected the opportunities of females.”</p>
<p>I point to these examples because, put together, they show that no fitness regimen, no amount of practice, and no reallocation of financial resources could allow the best female athletes at any level to compete against the best male athletes at that same level.</p>
<p>This advantage isn’t simply a difference in degree – it’s not just that male athletes are bigger, faster and stronger – but it’s a difference in kind. Pound for pound, <a href="https://web.law.duke.edu/sites/default/files/centers/sportslaw/comparingathleticperformances.pdf">male bodies are more athletic</a>.</p>
<h2>Evaluating trans athletes on a case-by-case basis</h2>
<p>So, how can we allow trans athletes to compete without giving them an unfair advantage over their competitors?</p>
<p>One proposed solution, as if taken from the pages of novelist Kurt Vonnegut’s “<a href="http://www.tnellen.com/cybereng/harrison.html">Harrison Bergeron</a>,” is <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-race-to-replace-the-binary-of-mens-and-womens-sports-11583769636">testosterone-based handicapping for events</a>. Competitors would have their testosterone levels measured and then algorithms would determine their advantage. Then, competitors would be fitted with weighted clothes, compete on a different track or otherwise receive an appropriate handicap before competing.</p>
<p>But having a higher level of testosterone <a href="https://theconversation.com/caster-semenyas-impossible-situation-testosterone-gets-special-scrutiny-but-doesnt-necessarily-make-her-faster-116407">does not automatically make you a better athlete</a>. Beyond this, while handicapping may be fine for a golf outing with friends, it isn’t appropriate for serious athletic contests. The point of athletic competitions is to determine who is actually the best, not who is the best relative to handicaps. </p>
<p>Another proposed solution entails <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-it-might-be-time-to-eradicate-sex-segregation-in-sports-89305">replacing gender divisions entirely with ability-level divisions</a>. Yet this could hinder women’s participation in sports. In a world with no female-only divisions, Serena Williams would still win some tennis tournaments, but they likely wouldn’t be tournaments you’ve heard of.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Serena and Venus Williams laugh on the tennis court." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401107/original/file-20210517-21-1vc2uef.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401107/original/file-20210517-21-1vc2uef.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=384&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401107/original/file-20210517-21-1vc2uef.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=384&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401107/original/file-20210517-21-1vc2uef.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=384&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401107/original/file-20210517-21-1vc2uef.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=483&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401107/original/file-20210517-21-1vc2uef.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=483&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401107/original/file-20210517-21-1vc2uef.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=483&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Would Serena and Venus Williams be household names if there weren’t female-only divisions?</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/venus-and-serena-williams-of-the-usa-celebrate-at-center-news-photo/1025341054?adppopup=true">Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>So what’s the most viable solution to this debate? </p>
<p>Since there is no typical transgender athlete, broad rules for transgender athletes don’t seem appropriate. </p>
<p>Instead, language similar to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s disability accommodation policy could be used for transgender athletes: “<a href="https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/guidance/ada-questions-and-answers#:%7E:text=The%20decision%20as%20to%20the,do%20the%20job%20in%20question">The decision as to the appropriate accommodation must be based on the particular facts of each case</a>.”</p>
<p>“Men’s” divisions could be eliminated and replaced with “open” divisions. Any athlete could be allowed to compete in that division. </p>
<p>Then, transgender athletes could be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Based on their athletic ability, a tournament organizer could determine which division is most fair for them to compete in, “women’s” or “open.”</p>
<p>For trans women athletes, at issue is their athletic ability, not their womanhood. If a tournament organizer determines that a trans woman athlete is too good to compete against other women because of her biological advantage, requiring her to compete in an “open” division does not undermine her humanity.</p>
<p>Instead, this acknowledges – and takes seriously – that she identifies as a woman, but that respect for the principles of fair competition requires that she not be allowed to compete in the women’s division.</p>
<p>While whatever decision is made is unlikely to make all competitors happy, this approach seems to be the most fair and feasible given the relatively small number of transgender athletes and the unique circumstances of each athlete.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/159685/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Chris W. Surprenant does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Since there is no typical transgender athlete, broad rules don’t seem appropriate. But that’s exactly what legislation seeks to do.Chris W. Surprenant, Professor of Ethics, Strategy, and Public Policy, University of New OrleansLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1556382021-03-19T02:33:00Z2021-03-19T02:33:00ZConcussion risks aren’t limited to the AFL. We need urgent action to make sure our kids are safe, too<p>The AFL season kicked off this week with the defending champion Richmond Tigers taking on Carlton in front of nearly 50,000 fans at the Melbourne Cricket Ground — apparently the <a href="https://twitter.com/austadiums/status/1372529594893438977">largest sport crowd</a> in Australia since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. </p>
<p>In the lead-up to the new season, however, the focus has not solely been on the footy. Much attention is also being paid to the darker side of the sport: concerns over concussions and the safety of its players. </p>
<p>Last month, the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/feb/17/afl-considering-proposal-for-landmark-multimillion-dollar-concussion-trust-for-players">Guardian</a> published a report saying the AFL is considering creating a $2 billion concussion trust fund to support past, present and players. </p>
<p>Then, the <a href="https://www.coronerscourt.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/2021-02/Finding%20D%20Frawley.pdf">coroner’s report</a> into the death of AFL legend Danny Frawley found chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease, had been “a potential contributor” to the depression he had suffered. </p>
<p>The coroner <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/breaking-news/call-for-afl-players-to-donate-brains-after-danny-frawleys-tragic-death/news-story/a7b7fc7e135b914cd78b2dfe48e741f5">recommended</a> the AFL “actively encourage” players to donate their brains to the Australian Sports Brain Bank for scientific research to </p>
<blockquote>
<p>improve the safety of future generations of footballers and others engaged in contact sports. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>Last week, the AFL said it <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/afl-asks-for-voice-in-coronial-probe-into-richmond-player-s-death-20210309-p57926.html">wanted to be involved</a> in the investigation into the suicide of 38-year-old former player Shane Tuck, who had also suffered mental health problems. One of the brain bank researchers said Tuck had “the <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/shane-tuck-had-severe-cte-brain-bank-reveals-20210122-p56w3n.html?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1611348821">worst case</a>” of CTE he had ever seen. </p>
<p>All of this comes months after former AFL player Shaun Smith was <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/sep/18/concussion-payout-to-former-afl-player-shaun-smith-reinforces-cte-link-with-contact-sport">awarded</a> a $1.4 million insurance payout for the “total and permanent disablement” he suffered as a result of concussions — the first of its kind in Australia.</p>
<p>With the AFL placing such attention on this issue, it’s important to also consider what these developments mean for other levels of the sport, especially schoolchildren. </p>
<h2>Should my child be signing up to join the footy team?</h2>
<p>This was the exact question I asked myself when I first started <a href="http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/SportsLaweJl/2011/2.pdf">researching</a> the dangers of concussions in professional sport in 2010. </p>
<p>I assumed that at the school level, our kids would be entering a sports system that was optimally safe and acknowledged the risks of contact sport. But this wasn’t necessarily the case. There was no real understanding of who was responsible for making the system safe.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/concussions-and-kids-know-the-signs-60672">Concussions and kids: know the signs</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>We’ve known for years that the dangers of mismanaging concussions are not just an elite-level footy concern that stops at the boundary lines of the MCG. This should, in fact, be regarded as a prominent public health issue.</p>
<p>Given this, who should ultimately take the lead on this at the school and junior level — the government (the guardians of the public’s health) or the AFL (the guardians of the sport)? The answer is a mixture of both.</p>
<h2>A prominent public health issue</h2>
<p>Unlike some countries, Australian governments have traditionally adopted a “hands off” approach when it comes to the legal regulation of sport-related concussions. </p>
<p>The federal government has taken some steps toward framing this as a public health concern in recent years by developing a Concussion in Sport Australia <a href="https://www.concussioninsport.gov.au/">information website</a>. It provides guidance for athletes, parents, coaches and teachers on everything from the early signs of a concussion to the long-term consequences. </p>
<p>Some state and territory governments have partnered with professional groups to develop their own concussion in sport <a href="https://www.sport.nsw.gov.au/sectordevelopment/concussion">protocols</a> and education workshops for community sport programs. </p>
<p>These are all positive steps in the right direction, but the approach remains patchy and inconsistent across the country. </p>
<p>Recognising the wider social context, I put out an urgent call in 2018 for a collective and <a href="https://www.heraldsun.com.au/lifestyle/health/urgent-call-for-national-sports-concussion-strategy-to-protect-brains/news-story/419bc7c81f05fdbbdab8305188d55e2b">nationally coordinated response</a>. </p>
<p>My proposal aimed to bring together state governments, sporting codes and medical and other experts to work with Sport Australia on designing a national concussion framework. What we needed was a consistent approach across sports to reduce and manage the risks associated with concussion in sport — all guided by research.</p>
<p>The idea didn’t make much headway with governments. There is still more work to be done.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1328943526273495041"}"></div></p>
<h2>How laws in other countries are helping</h2>
<p>While the data are patchy, <a href="https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/51/12/949.long">experts agree</a> that sport-related concussions among children are very common, and the effects of concussions in children are different from those in adults. Experts also agree that <a href="https://search.informit.org/doi/epdf/10.3316/informit.241612182530676">children and adolescents</a> should be subject to more conservative and careful concussion management. </p>
<p>The United States is far ahead in this effort. Youth sport concussion laws are now in place in states across the country that focus on mitigating the risk of mismanaging concussions and preventing serious complications. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"853686174128390144"}"></div></p>
<p>The laws generally focus on <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6378501/#:%7E:text=Youth%20sports%20concussion%20laws%20generally,return%20to%20play%E2%80%9D%20or%20RTP">three central principles</a>) — education, immediate removal from play and medical clearance before return. While <a href="https://www.jahonline.org/action/showPdf?pii=S1054-139X%2817%2930913-8">far from perfect</a> in terms of regulatory process, these laws have gone a long way to heighten awareness of the dangers of concussion. </p>
<p>There has been success on this front in the Canadian province of Ontario. </p>
<p>A <a href="https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-018-6232-9">government mandate</a> was issued in 2014 requiring schools to develop a concussion protocol as part of the curricula. Then, in 2018, a <a href="https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/s18001">new law was passed</a> that required all sport organisations to establish a concussion code of conduct and removal from sport and return-to-play protocols for children under 18.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1138779649373347840"}"></div></p>
<p>Australia does not have similar laws. The Australia Institute of Sport has <a href="https://www.sportaus.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/683501/February_2019_-_Concussion_Position_Statement_AC.pdf">issued a position statement</a> that reads:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Children should not return to contact/collision activities before 14 days from complete resolution of all concussion symptoms.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>But what is clearly needed are stronger laws or collaborative governance mechanisms to ensure our kids are entering an optimally safe sports system.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/can-headband-sensors-reduce-underreported-concussions-in-kids-62676">Can headband sensors reduce underreported concussions in kids?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What has the AFL done?</h2>
<p>The AFL does not have the same legislative mandate as government, but it wields significant influence as the guardian of the sport. </p>
<p>According to the AFL, concussion has been on its radar for <a href="http://www.aflcommunityclub.com.au/fileadmin/user_upload/Coach_AFL/Injury_Management/ResponsibleApproachConcussionintheAFL.pdf">over 25 years</a>, but most of this has been focused on the elite level of the sport. </p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.aflcommunityclub.com.au/index.php?id=66">AFL Community Club website</a> does provide guidelines on managing concussions for community football, which includes a sport concussion assessment tool for children aged five to 12.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/is-the-nrl-legally-liable-for-the-long-term-impacts-of-concussions-119880">Is the NRL legally liable for the long-term impacts of concussions?</a>
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<p>However, some of the AFL’s affiliate networks across the country have <a href="https://aflnswact.com.au/community-football-concussion/">outdated</a> or hard-to-find information on concussion safety on their websites. Given the prominence of the issue, this inconsistency is something the AFL needs to urgently address. </p>
<p>In December, the AFL advertised for a new “<a href="https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/afl-to-consolidate-concussion-responses-into-a-single-role-20201213-p56n1b.html">concussion lead</a>” to coordinate its strategy on head trauma and concussion responses, which signifies just how serious this issue has become. </p>
<p>Undoubtedly, the AFL has had a lot on its plate navigating the COVID-related disruptions to the sport, but the time is right to adopt a wider lens in developing an effective concussion strategy to keep our kids safe. </p>
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<p><em>If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/155638/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Annette Greenhow does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Rocked by recent events on the dangers of concussion at the elite level, the AFL has a perfect opportunity to adopt a wider lens and mobilise its network to keep footy safe, especially for the kids.Annette Greenhow, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Law, Bond UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1300612020-05-26T19:43:26Z2020-05-26T19:43:26ZConcussion affects 1 in 10 youth athletes every year. Here’s what needs to change.<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/336927/original/file-20200522-57725-azc8dm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=10%2C339%2C3641%2C2124&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Rule changes, training strategies and equipment recommendations can help protect youth athletes from concussion.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Unsplash)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>While sports facilities and leagues are still gauging how and when to reopen in the wake of the coronavirus, now is the best time to think about concussion prevention: before young people get back on the playing field. </p>
<p>The benefits of <a href="https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/82-625-x/2019001/article/00003-eng.htm">sport and physical activity are significant</a>, and yet, every day young people put themselves at risk of concussion through participation in sports. The highest concussion incidence rates among youth in Canada are seen in <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2015-094978">rugby, ice hockey and football</a>.</p>
<p>We expect <a href="https://doi.org/10.1097/01.jsm.0000184638.72075.b7">one in 10 Canadians ages 13 to 18 to seek medical attention</a> every year for a sport-related concussion. Forty per cent of these <a href="https://doi.org/10.1097/jsm.0000000000000673">youth have experienced a previous concussion, and 20 per cent will have a variety of persistent symptoms for longer than one month</a>. </p>
<p>These symptoms may include <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2017-097699">headache, dizziness, sleep disturbance, cognitive difficulties or depression</a>. Long-term consequences of concussion in youth may also include reduced levels of physical activity, overweight or obesity, psychosocial consequences and significant health-care costs. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/333921/original/file-20200511-49556-1jhho18.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/333921/original/file-20200511-49556-1jhho18.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/333921/original/file-20200511-49556-1jhho18.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/333921/original/file-20200511-49556-1jhho18.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/333921/original/file-20200511-49556-1jhho18.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/333921/original/file-20200511-49556-1jhho18.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/333921/original/file-20200511-49556-1jhho18.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Rugby, hockey and football have the highest concussion incidence in Canadian youth.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Unsplash/BJ Pearce)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>As chair of the <a href="https://ucalgary.ca/siprc/">Sport Injury Prevention Research Centre (faculty of kinesiology, University of Calgary)</a>, I lead a research program that aims to reduce the burden of youth concussion in Canada. The best way to do that, and to keep kids active in the sports they love, is by moving towards prevention. Providing a safe environment for youth to participate in sport is critical to ensure lifelong participation in sport and recreation. As such, a key public health priority should be concussion prevention in youth sport to promote an active lifestyle in all Canadian youth.</p>
<h2>How can we prevent concussion in youth sport?</h2>
<p><a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2016-097452">Research has shown</a> that rule changes, training strategies, equipment recommendations and legislation of evidence-informed management protocols can all help to prevent concussion and the recurrence of concussion in youth sport.</p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2018.5498">Rule changes may be the low-hanging fruit</a> in reducing the risk of concussion in youth sport. In 2010, we demonstrated a <a href="http://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2010.755">four-fold greater risk of concussion</a> in 11- and 12-year-old ice hockey players when body checking was allowed in games at all levels of play, compared to Québec where body checking was not allowed. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/336923/original/file-20200522-57670-1l0ru0o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/336923/original/file-20200522-57670-1l0ru0o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=391&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/336923/original/file-20200522-57670-1l0ru0o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=391&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/336923/original/file-20200522-57670-1l0ru0o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=391&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/336923/original/file-20200522-57670-1l0ru0o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=491&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/336923/original/file-20200522-57670-1l0ru0o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=491&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/336923/original/file-20200522-57670-1l0ru0o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=491&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Every year, one in 10 youth athletes seeks medical attention for concussion.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Unsplash)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This study, among others, informed a 2013 Hockey Canada national policy change delaying body checking until age 13. This led to a <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2016-097392">64 per cent reduction in concussion rates, preventing over 4,800 concussions nationally each year</a> in young players, and keeping more players in the game.</p>
<p>This research further informed local and provincial policy change in non-elite levels of play (70 per cent of players by division of play) in older age groups (ages 13-17). <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2019-101092">Evidence in 13- and 14-year-old non-elite ice hockey leagues supports a policy disallowing body checking in games</a>, with a 54 per cent reduction in all injuries and estimated prevention of 4,000 injuries in 13- and 14-year-old players annually in Canada.</p>
<p>If body checking continues to be disallowed in games in 11- and 12-year-old leagues and non-elite levels in 13- to 17-year-old leagues, the public health impact would be the prevention of 10,000 concussions annually. </p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/333692/original/file-20200508-49565-ltbc6a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/333692/original/file-20200508-49565-ltbc6a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=744&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/333692/original/file-20200508-49565-ltbc6a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=744&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/333692/original/file-20200508-49565-ltbc6a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=744&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/333692/original/file-20200508-49565-ltbc6a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=934&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/333692/original/file-20200508-49565-ltbc6a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=934&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/333692/original/file-20200508-49565-ltbc6a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=934&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">One of Canada’s largest hockey associations will ban bodychecking for peewee players.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Prevention should be our priority, but not everyone involved in the game sees it this way. Some parents believe that delaying body checking to age 13 may reduce concussion risk but that this policy will also reduce their child’s opportunities to play at elite and professional levels. </p>
<p><a href="https://cdn.agilitycms.com/hockey-canada/Corporate/About/Downloads/2018-19-hockey-canada-annual-report-e.pdf">In Canada, 70,000 11- and 12-year-old ice hockey players are registered annually</a>. Possibly 70 of these kids may have an opportunity to compete in the National Hockey League (<a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1533035-nhl-hockey-how-much-are-a-childs-hockey-dreams-worth">one in 1,000</a>) and perhaps 7,000 may continue to play in an adult recreational league. </p>
<p>One might argue that the other 62,930 young players should be our public health priority. Our goal should be to keep these kids in the game for lifelong participation in sport and recreation. </p>
<p>Another rule change targeting concussion prevention in youth sport includes <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0363546519860120">limiting full-contact play during football practice</a>. </p>
<p>Other evidence-informed prevention strategies include sport-specific <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2015-094639">neuromuscular training (NMT) warm-up programs</a> (including aerobic, balance, strength, agility) that have been shown to reduce the risk of all injury, including concussion, by more than 35 per cent across multiple team sports including <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20547668">soccer</a>, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2016-097434">rugby</a>, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29864071">basketball</a> and in <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2019-101117">physical education</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/333700/original/file-20200508-49573-ez8s8o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/333700/original/file-20200508-49573-ez8s8o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/333700/original/file-20200508-49573-ez8s8o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/333700/original/file-20200508-49573-ez8s8o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/333700/original/file-20200508-49573-ez8s8o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/333700/original/file-20200508-49573-ez8s8o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/333700/original/file-20200508-49573-ez8s8o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Limiting full-contact play during practices may help prevent concussion in youth football.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Unsplash/Ben Hershey)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>We should not underestimate the potential of preventive equipment including <a href="https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/early/2020/01/14/bjsports-2019-101011">mouth guards</a> with recent evidence demonstrating that wearing a mouth guard (off the shelf or custom fit) reduced odds of concussion in youth ice hockey players by more than 60 per cent. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1941738116639027">Helmet fit</a> criteria have also been developed and evaluated in youth ice hockey and tackle football, suggesting the potential for a protective effect and reduced concussion severity with optimal helmet fit.</p>
<h2>Can concussions lead to catastrophic outcomes?</h2>
<p>Catastrophic outcomes following concussion in youth sport are rare, however we should work to ensure that not one more child dies following concussion. Rowan Stringer was a 17-year-old high school rugby player who suffered multiple concussions in one week in 2013 and died as a result of her injuries. Stringer’s lasting legacy is <a href="https://www.ola.org/en/legislative-business/bills/parliament-41/session-2/bill-193">Rowan’s Law</a> that was subsequently introduced into Ontario legislation following her death.</p>
<p>Rowan’s Law is a wake-up call to sport associations, sport facilities and schools to implement concussion protocols mandating the removal from play of any youth athlete with a suspected concussion. Rowan’s Law also makes concussion education mandatory for certain individuals involved with youth sport. Additionally, it informs appropriate protocols for concussion follow-up including assessment by a physician and adherence to evidence-informed return-to-sport and return-to-school guidelines. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://parachute.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Canadian-Guideline-on-Concussion-in-Sport.pdf">Canadian Guidelines on Concussion in Sport</a> were informed by the <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2017-097699">International Consensus on Concussion in Sport</a>, available online at <a href="https://parachute.ca/en/injury-topic/concussion/">Parachute</a> along with other evidence-informed concussion resources.</p>
<h2>Canadian researchers raising the bar</h2>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/333919/original/file-20200511-49542-7pd2ho.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/333919/original/file-20200511-49542-7pd2ho.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/333919/original/file-20200511-49542-7pd2ho.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/333919/original/file-20200511-49542-7pd2ho.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/333919/original/file-20200511-49542-7pd2ho.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/333919/original/file-20200511-49542-7pd2ho.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/333919/original/file-20200511-49542-7pd2ho.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Sports with high concussion risk include hockey, football, rugby, lacrosse, wrestling, ringette, soccer, basketball, volleyball and cheerleading.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Pixabay)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Through a research program funded by the NFL’s Scientific Advisory Board, our team at the Sport Injury Prevention Research Centre is leading a pan-Canadian multidisciplinary research group focused on the prevention, detection, diagnosis, prognosis and management of sport-related concussion in youth. <a href="https://www.ucalgary.ca/news/nfl-gives-significant-funding-help-youth-shred-burden-concussion">SHRed Concussions</a> (Surveillance in High School to Reduce Concussions and their Consequences in Youth Sport) is the first study of its kind in Canada. It aims to recruit 6,000 high school athletes (ages 13-18) in 60 schools (in British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario and Québec), with followup over three years. </p>
<p>The goal of SHRed Concussions is to raise the bar in youth sport-related concussion research and to inform a significant public health impact in the reduction of sport-related concussions and their consequences in youth across multiple sports including tackle football, rugby, ice hockey, lacrosse, wrestling, ringette, soccer, basketball, volleyball and cheerleading.</p>
<h2>Why are we so afraid of change?</h2>
<p>Canada’s youth are our biggest and most important natural resource. <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/rowan-stringer-hit-stop-sit-ontario-concussion-ad-1.5169263">Rowan Stringer</a> reminds us every day that there is a lot to do to keep sports safe and prevent sport-related concussions in youth. We must ensure legislation is in place for concussion prevention and management protocols to minimize the risk of catastrophic outcomes and reduce the burden of concussions in youth sport. </p>
<p>The benefits of changing the rules of the game, safety equipment legislation and evidence-informed training strategies have been significant in reducing the burden of concussion in youth sport. <a href="https://www.ucalgary.ca/news/nfl-gives-significant-funding-help-youth-shred-burden-concussion">Evaluation of concussion prevention strategies is ongoing across multiple youth sports</a>. Our priority must be to keep all youth participating in sports and also physically active for life.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/130061/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Carolyn Emery receives funding from Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Canadian Foundation for Innovation, Canada Research Chairs Government of Canada, National Basketball Association/General Electric, National Football League Scientific Advisory Board, Alberta Innovates, Alberta Children's Hospital Foundation, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, O'Brien Institute of Public Health and the University of Calgary.</span></em></p>Every year, about 10 per cent of youth athletes experience a concussion. Research shows there are steps we can take to help prevent these injuries, but we can’t be afraid to make changes.Carolyn Emery, Professor, Sport Injury Prevention Research Centre, Faculty of Kinesiology, University of CalgaryLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1294042020-01-22T13:37:40Z2020-01-22T13:37:40ZSnacks after youth sports add more calories than kids burn while playing, study says<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/311237/original/file-20200121-117933-vut1pi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C198%2C3007%2C2069&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Clark Moss, 12, of Gilbert, Ariz., shows the chips and drink he received after his soccer match, Jan. 18, 2020.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Kristi Moss</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Youth sports leagues are a great way for children to get physical activity, develop teamwork and create friendships. Research has shown that youth who participate in sports leagues are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0044118X03261619">eight times as likely to be active</a> in their early 20s than those who don’t participate. </p>
<p>This is good news for the more than half of American youth ages 6 to 12 who <a href="https://assets.aspeninstitute.org/content/uploads/2018/10/StateofPlay2018_v4WEB_2-FINAL.pdf">participated in a team sport</a> in 2017, with baseball, basketball and soccer being the most popular. But our recent research showed that snacks after youth sports games contained more calories than the amount kids burned.</p>
<p>Both of us are faculty members in public health who study childhood obesity. Most of <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=87v4Nk4AAAAJ&hl=en">Jay’s work</a> is in physical activity and looks at the effect of the environment on health, including parks and city design. <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=wBHmJEkAAAAJ&hl=en">Lori</a> specializes in the food environment and has examined the effects of school breakfast and salad bar programs on student nutrition. </p>
<h2>Snacks and youth sports</h2>
<p>Our interest in this issue started years ago. When I (Jay) was growing up in the 1980s, I loved playing in youth basketball and baseball leagues. Twenty-five years later, I was excited to enroll my sons in youth sports, including basketball, soccer and flag football. </p>
<p>However, from the first team meeting, something was different. The coach passed around a sign-up sheet to bring a grab-and-go snack for the team. I was surprised by this. When I was growing up, the only sport that had a snack was soccer, and that was oranges and water at half time. Why did these kids need a snack at 2 in the afternoon? </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/311192/original/file-20200121-117943-4xwn8p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/311192/original/file-20200121-117943-4xwn8p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/311192/original/file-20200121-117943-4xwn8p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/311192/original/file-20200121-117943-4xwn8p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/311192/original/file-20200121-117943-4xwn8p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/311192/original/file-20200121-117943-4xwn8p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/311192/original/file-20200121-117943-4xwn8p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A hot dog and chips do not make a healthy snack for kids, but such a snack led to the authors’ interest in studying how many calories are typically in after-sport snacks.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/hot-dog-potato-chips-on-white-8721154">LM Photos/Shutterstock.com</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>I signed up later in the season to see what the other parents were bringing as snacks. I was even more surprised when the snack turned out to be a hot dog in a bun, a bag of chips, a cookie and a sports drink! My son had just eaten lunch a couple of hours before and had only played for 20 minutes. </p>
<p>I thought to myself: They have got to be consuming more calories than they expended. A few years later, Lori Spruance and I decided to test this and find out if it was true.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/311190/original/file-20200121-117917-7k2nze.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/311190/original/file-20200121-117917-7k2nze.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=458&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/311190/original/file-20200121-117917-7k2nze.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=458&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/311190/original/file-20200121-117917-7k2nze.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=458&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/311190/original/file-20200121-117917-7k2nze.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=575&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/311190/original/file-20200121-117917-7k2nze.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=575&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/311190/original/file-20200121-117917-7k2nze.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=575&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Kids running up and down a soccer field can burn a lot of calories, but that expenditure can be negated by sugary or other unhealthy snacks.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/four-multicultural-kids-playing-football-on-1505467880">LightField Shudios/Shutterstock.com</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Testing our ideas</h2>
<p>Lori and her team went out between April and October of 2018 and observed 189 youth sports games for children in the third and fourth grade. The games included soccer, baseball, softball and flag football, and both mixed-gender and single-gender leagues. </p>
<p>To measure calorie expenditure, we used a highly valid and reliable <a href="https://activelivingresearch.org/sofit-system-observing-fitness-instruction-time">systematic observation tool</a> to assess the duration and intensity of children’s physical activity during the game. The researchers also assessed the calorie content of the food provided, either through the packaging or by measuring the amount of food served. </p>
<p>We found that on average children got 27 minutes of physical activity per game and burned about 170 calories. We were not surprised to find that children playing soccer were the most active, and softball players were the least active. At four out of five games, or 78%, parents served a post-game snack. </p>
<p>When a snack was served, it averaged 213 calories – on average, 43 more calories than the children had expended playing the sport. The most common snacks were baked goods, such as brownies, cookies and cake, followed by fruit snacks, crackers and chips. We were even more disturbed that the average amount of sugar provided was 26.4 grams, exceeding the American Heart Association’s <a href="https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/sugar/how-much-sugar-is-too-much">recommendation of 25 grams</a> of sugar per day.</p>
<h2>Easy ways to make some changes</h2>
<p>We looked at the findings to try to develop a low-cost intervention to help change these effects. Beverages stood out as a major contributor of sugar. In the 145 games where a beverage was served, soda, fruit drinks and sports drinks were served over 85% of the time. Water (3%), milk (1%) and 100% fruit juice (8%) were almost never served. Sugar from drinks (18.3 grams) per serving exceeded sugar from snacks (12.3 grams). </p>
<p>Before the next sport’s season, we developed a <a href="https://byu.app.box.com/s/va2rale5oayfp7y1gi0xdu02jeozar9n">one-page fact sheet</a> on smart snacks for your athlete for teams that choose to provide a snack. It recommended water as the drink of choice and small healthy snacks, including mixed nuts, fresh fruit, string cheese, dried fruit and granola bars. These fact sheets were emailed to parents and posted on the local parks and recreation website prior to the season, and researchers came back during the season to see if any changes were made.</p>
<p>Our preliminary results show that the information provided made a difference. We found that 16% of the snacks in the second season included water instead of a sugary beverage; sugary beverage offerings dropped from almost 90% to 80%; and fruits and vegetables increased from 3% to 15%, with an overall drop of 20 calories per game. </p>
<p>These changes appeared to be an easy way for parents to make the smart choice and provide a healthier alternative for their children. </p>
<p>Although 43 calories may not seem like a lot, if a child plays two games a week across 50 weeks this can add up to 4,000 calories or more than a pound of weight per year. </p>
<p>Little changes can make a big difference in promoting healthy body weights in our children. So when your children are playing sports, we recommend making the healthy choice and choosing water, fruits and vegetables and a healthy protein source too, like nuts.</p>
<p>[ <em>Get the best of The Conversation, every weekend.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters/weekly-highlights-61?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=weeklybest">Sign up for our weekly newsletter</a>. ]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/129404/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Youth sports are a great way for kids to be active, but a recent study showed that after-sports snacks, on average, had 43 more calories than the amount burned during the activity.Jay Maddock, Professor of Public Health, Texas A&M UniversityLori Andersen Spruance, Assistant Professor of Public Health, Brigham Young UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/849642017-10-17T23:54:55Z2017-10-17T23:54:55ZIs youth football past its prime?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/190655/original/file-20171017-30436-15ua9uk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A high school football game in Kapaa, Hawaii on the island of Kauai. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Friday-Night-Lights-Seabirds/f56d66c9f301473f924e1881155a1c1e/62/0">Marco Garcia/AP Photo</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>High school football participation may have peaked. </p>
<p>That’s the argument I make in <a href="http://www.playthegame.org/news/comments/2017/048_has-the-united-states-reached-peak-american-football/">a recent analysis</a> for the international sports governance association Play the Game. </p>
<p>The conclusion is based on <a href="https://www.nfhs.org/ParticipationStatistics/ParticipationStatistics/">data</a> indicating that after decades of continuous growth, high school football participation numbers peaked in 2009 when looking at the total number of players, and in 2013 if you looked at participation as a percentage of eligible boys.</p>
<p>The article led to many reactions. I heard from coaches and parents who explained that the national data jibe with their local experiences of declining participation. I also heard from a lot of people who were interested in the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/10/11/upshot/trump-nfl-polarization.html">very public spat</a> between the NFL and President Trump, and how this might influence future participation rates. (Their concern was that some parents may keep their kids out of football if the sport becomes too politicized.) </p>
<p>The article also prompted some questions. Is the decline real? What does it mean for the future? And how does football compare to participation in other sports?</p>
<p>The decline in football participation is real. I spoke with Chris Boone, assistant director of publications and communications at the <a href="https://www.nfhs.org/HomePage">National Federation of State High School Associations</a>, about their fantastic data set, which has tracked high school sports participation for almost 50 years. Boone told me that the NFHS data set is the “best instrument there is” on participation, and “98 percent of U.S. high schools” are included in their annual surveys. The NFSH tracks more than 70 sports for each boys and girls. The data look to be the best tool we have to track long-term trends in participation rates in U.S. high school sports.</p>
<p>As I explained, the decline in participation in football is relatively small – a decline of just of 50,000 players over seven years, from a base of 1.14 million in 2009. But, based on the coverage and quality of the data set, it also does appear to be real and not a statistical or methodological quirk. </p>
<p>No one knows how future participation will evolve. The recent inflection point – several decades of steady increases in football participation followed by several years of decline – could signal a long-term change or simply represent a short-term aberration. </p>
<p>What’s clear is that there are numerous factors in play that suggest that the short-term trend may continue for a while. Most notably, there is mounting evidence of growing <a href="http://psycnet.apa.org/record/2017-35273-003">parental concerns over health risks</a>. Changes to the game that enhance player safety, medical research that more precisely identifies the causal pathways leading to long-term health effects and even presidential politics all might play a role in the future popularity of football. </p>
<p>But make no mistake, football remains extremely popular.</p>
<p>To place these trends in a broader context, I’ve taken a deeper dive into the <a href="https://www.nfhs.org/ParticipationStatistics/ParticipationStatistics/">NFHS database</a> for both boys’ and girls’ participation in high school sports.</p>
<p>Football is, by an overwhelming margin, the most popular high school sport for boys. Over 400,000 more boys played football than track and field, the second most popular sport. </p>
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<p>Whatever the future of football, total participation numbers suggest that it’s likely going to be years before football is dethroned as the “king of sports” among boys. </p>
<p>Yet participation rates continue to evolve in these seven boys’ sports, and the numbers show that football isn’t the only sport that has seen as recent decline; wrestling has, too. </p>
<p><iframe id="2qofL" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/2qofL/2/" height="510px" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p>The biggest increases for boys have been in cross country (45 percent), soccer (37 percent) and outdoor track and field (25 percent). The smallest increase since 2000 is in basketball (2 percent), which has seen fairly constant participation rates.</p>
<p>As with boys, the sports seeing the greatest increases in participation for girls are cross country (46 percent) and soccer (43 percent). </p>
<p><iframe id="USI2D" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/USI2D/1/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p>The success and popularity of the 1999 Women’s World Cup-winning team no doubt played a role in the sport’s explosive popularity at the turn of the century. If recent rates are any indication, it won’t take long for soccer to surpass volleyball, basketball and even outdoor track and field. (We’ll have to wait and see if the U.S. men’s national team’s <a href="https://theconversation.com/until-youth-soccer-is-fixed-us-mens-national-team-is-destined-to-fail-85585">failure to make the 2018 World Cup</a> has any detectable impact on participation.) </p>
<p>But if sport is <a href="http://www.playthegame.org/news/comments/2014/play-the-game%E2%80%99s-official-speech-at-the-council-of-europe-sports-minister-meeting/">a reflection of broader society</a>, these numbers could be a response to the forces of globalization: Around the world, soccer and track have a much high prominence than they have historically had in the U.S. The globalization of international soccer, which includes soccer’s growing <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sports_broadcasting_contracts_in_the_United_States#Soccer">presence on U.S. television</a>, would suggest that this trend might continue.</p>
<p>Of course, traditional American sports – football, baseball, softball, basketball – still dominate. Their growth has simply slowed since 2000.</p>
<p>But football’s recent decline – however slight – suggests that something’s at play at the grassroots of America’s most popular sport. Data are not destiny, but football lovers across the country should consider this evidence an early warning that all is not well in the sport.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/84964/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Roger Pielke, Jr. is the Director of the Sports Governance Center at the University of Colorado Boulder. He also serves as co-president of the board of directors of FC Boulder, a youth soccer club.</span></em></p>After decades of continuous growth, participation rates have started to decline. What does it mean for the future of the sport?Roger Pielke Jr., Professor, University of Colorado BoulderLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/855852017-10-13T04:19:36Z2017-10-13T04:19:36ZUntil youth soccer is fixed, US men’s national team is destined to fail<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/190045/original/file-20171012-31431-pni0ln.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Defender Matt Besler sits on the field after losing to Trinidad and Tobago in a 2018 World Cup qualifying match.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Trinidad-and-Tobago-US-Wcup-Soccer/862a0d12c05543a1ba0ad905df6f1c33/26/0">Rebecca Blackwell/AP Photo</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>David beating Goliath is very exciting – unless you’re a fan of Goliath.</p>
<p>The United States has 330 million people and a massive youth soccer system, yet its men’s national soccer team <a href="http://www.espnfc.us/blog/the-match/60/post/3224208/world-cup-hopes-end-for-woeful-usa-after-shambolic-display-vs-trinidad-and-tobago">just got bushwhacked</a> by a team from Trinidad and Tobago, a country with <a href="http://cso.gov.tt">1.3 million residents</a>. </p>
<p>How could this happen? </p>
<p>It’s not just about cultural norms. (Even if 90 percent of the U.S. population didn’t care about soccer, 33 million still would.) It’s not just about high school football teams siphoning off potential soccer talent. (There’s talent enough to go around when you have all those people.) It’s not just about U.S. soccer’s leadership and disorganization. (There are ineffective bureaucracies everywhere.) It’s not just about the unimaginative style of soccer played by U.S. teams. (Nobody criticizes the German team for its methodical style of play.)</p>
<p>Instead the problem is the American system of identifying and cultivating soccer talent – or, more accurately, not identifying this talent. </p>
<p>For the past six years I have been researching and writing about the commercialized youth sports industry, including a youth soccer system that excludes low-income and nonsuburban families from participating at the same rate as higher-income families.</p>
<p>U.S. kids don’t play soccer with bare feet on hardscrabble barrio fields where creativity dominates the action and with few grownups in sight.</p>
<p>Instead, too many American kids play soccer in high-tech cleats on manicured suburban fields, where they stand around quietly until an adult (often paid) runs them through repetitive drills – all to prepare for an expensive tournament three states away.</p>
<p>Commercial components permeate every aspect of the youth game. Research presented in <a href="https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781442266285/How-College-Athletics-Are-Hurting-Girls'-Sports-The-Pay-to-Play-Pipeline">my recent book</a> on college and youth sports shows that family income is highly correlated with youth soccer participation. About 25 percent of American families have incomes over US$100,000 annually, yet they produce 35 percent of youth soccer players. </p>
<p>Conversely, the 25 percent of families with incomes below $25,000 account for only 13 percent of youth soccer players. Forty percent of youth soccer players will leave the sport between ages 13 and 18. </p>
<p>Many leave for financial reasons. Kids interested in playing soccer must increasingly pay for apparel, equipment, team fees, coaches, trainers, tournament travel and field space. It’s not unusual for families <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=45mKMZSUTRsC&lpg=PP1&dq=mark%20hyman%20youth%20sports&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=false">to spend over $10,000 per child per year</a> to play organized youth soccer. `</p>
<p>The result is a system more attuned to identifying the best payers than the best players.</p>
<p>Those remaining in what I call the pay-to-play soccer system increasingly sign up for high-cost tournaments like the annual Disney Boys’ Soccer Showcase, with the idea that it’ll increase their chances of being identified by the national team or college recruiters who frequent the expensive tournaments. </p>
<p>What would have become of Cristiano Renaldo or Marta had they grown up in the U.S. pay-to-play system?</p>
<p>Talent isn’t being found in overgrown weed patches stuffed between urban row houses and rural farms. Nor is it being found among the 630,000 kids playing in the American Youth Soccer Organization programs, which adhere to the philosophy that youth sports should be fun in and of itself, not an expensive pathway to some “next level.”</p>
<p>U.S. international dominance in men’s basketball provides a good contrast to soccer. Sure, there’s a significant commercial element to youth basketball, most notably reflected in the Amateur Athletic Union circuit. </p>
<p>But this isn’t the only place where talent is identified. There’s a robust network of recruiters who still go to cramped high school gyms and neighborhood playgrounds teeming with skilled players. Low-income boys are <a href="http://www.press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/M/bo23670359.html">50 percent more likely</a> to participate in basketball than in soccer, with participation rates identical between blacks and Latinos (despite cultural stereotypes that assume Latinos are more likely to play soccer).</p>
<p>There might be a reason for this: There are low-cost options for playing basketball (and being noticed), unlike in soccer. The U.S. men’s national basketball team does not systematically exclude an enormous swath of the population merely because it is poor. A bigger talent pool equals better teams. </p>
<p>Men’s soccer will never be able to compete internationally as long as it is enmeshed in a class-restrictive youth sports system. As for the U.S. women’s comparative international success in soccer, that’s a different dilemma. Many other countries don’t fund and cultivate women’s soccer players as well as the U.S., which gives the Americans an advantage. </p>
<p>My prediction, though, is that these same economic restrictions will soon kick U.S. women’s soccer in the collective shin guards as other countries eventually compensate for the Title IX-based advantages afforded to American girls and women for the past 44 years.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/85585/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rick Eckstein does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>In a system that’s far better at identifying the best payers than finding the best players, the pipeline of talent gets choked out by costly tournament and team fees.Rick Eckstein, Professor of Sociology, Villanova UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/817942017-08-01T00:16:35Z2017-08-01T00:16:35ZConcussions and CTE: More complicated than even the experts know<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/180246/original/file-20170728-23754-13wbuam.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Youngsters leave a football field in 2015 after playing at halftime at a game between the Buffalo Bills and the Carolina Panthers. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Banning-Tackle-Football/6000c666116049f0875924b3292a818a/13/0">AP Photo/Bill Wippert</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>For many, American football is a beautiful game that is simple to enjoy but complex to master. Choreographed with a mixture of artistry and brutality, it features the occasional “big hit” or bone-jarring tackle, forcing a fumble and turning the tide of the game. </p>
<p>But with this part of football comes justified concern about the long-term health effects of engaging in this type of activity over time, concerns that abound in practically every high-impact contact sport. It is possible that effects of continued involvement may accumulate quietly in the background until they show themselves, later in life. </p>
<p>A recent study appeared to give a “big hit” to the game of football itself, with findings that <a href="http://www.npr.org/2017/07/25/539198429/study-cte-found-in-nearly-all-donated-nfl-player-brains">nearly all the brains of 111 deceased NFL players </a> studied showed signs of <a href="https://concussionfoundation.org/CTE-resources/what-is-CTE">chronic traumatic encephalopathy</a>, or CTE. </p>
<p>At the University of Florida, our interdisciplinary team has studied brain injuries in athletes, military veterans and civilians for many years. A <a>study of which we were co-authors</a>, published in September, 2017, in JAMA Neurology, concluded that there are many gaps in knowledge. While repetitive brain trauma is the biggest risk factor for CTE, our findings suggested that there are many associated issues of neurodegenerative disease to consider as we develop ways to keep our athletes, both young and old, safe.</p>
<h2>The concussion ‘explosion’</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.cdc.gov/headsup/basics/concussion_whatis.html">Concussions</a> result from mechanical impact to the brain that produces transient changes in awareness or consciousness and a range of other symptoms. A 2016 study reported that between <a href="https://theconversation.com/concussions-and-kids-know-the-signs-60672">1.1 million and 1.9 million concussions</a> occur each year in children.</p>
<p>Although diagnosed concussions have been the primary focus, they are not the only, or maybe even the main, problem. There is also rising concern about<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5264430/"> subconcussive impacts</a>, repetitive blows that may not be severe enough to cause clinical symptoms. There may be hundreds of <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4346237/">subconcussive impacts</a> per player, per year. </p>
<p>In response to widespread concern, organized sports organizations from <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/football-concussions-felt-long-after-retirement/">Pop Warner to the NCAA</a> to professional levels have developed and implemented concussion management protocols to help in the identification and management of concussions. </p>
<p>Yet the massive attention given to concussion management and prevention has produced a level of public pseudo-awareness about CTE that currently outstrips what is scientifically known about the disorder. </p>
<h2>Missing links and gaps in knowledge</h2>
<p>Several <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2995699/">scientific studies have linked repetitive brain trauma</a> to CTE. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25904048">CTE is a “tauopathy”</a> in which the normally occurring protein tau becomes misfolded and accumulates at the depths of the folds (sulci) of the brain, in regions that may also be susceptible to mechanical forces during head impacts. The abnormal accumulation of the <a href="https://concussionfoundation.org/CTE-resources/what-is-CTE">tau protein</a> gives rise to a cascade of brain pathology that leads to cognitive impairment, neuropsychiatric problems (depression, anxiety, aggression, reduced impulse control), functional decline and, eventually, death. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/180418/original/file-20170731-22169-1mbkj18.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/180418/original/file-20170731-22169-1mbkj18.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/180418/original/file-20170731-22169-1mbkj18.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/180418/original/file-20170731-22169-1mbkj18.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/180418/original/file-20170731-22169-1mbkj18.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/180418/original/file-20170731-22169-1mbkj18.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/180418/original/file-20170731-22169-1mbkj18.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Researchers are trying to find the best helmet to prevent concussions, just as doctors are studying the best way to treat them.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/download/confirm/359362067?src=7KzPErfGwx8G7f4BedC3yg-1-3&size=small_jpg">Steve Cukrov/Shutterstock.com</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The study published July 25 that showed CTE in 110 of 111 deceased, former NFL players reflected a startling 99 percent prevalence rate. </p>
<p>The results were reported by news outlets across the world, leading many people to think that CTE is an all but inevitable outcome of playing football or other sports. </p>
<p>But is it? And most importantly for parents, coaches and fans, what is the actual risk to my kids, my players and my team?</p>
<p>The answers to these questions are not yet known, though the risk to the individual player is very likely to be considerably less than would be suggested by available research findings. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/poyrAI417qg?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p>Two important facts should be considered. </p>
<p>First, studies of CTE have all been conducted on <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bpa.12248/full">small samples of brains delivered to CTE research centers</a> by families of former players who have had concern about post-retirement cognitive, psychiatric or behavioral problems and symptoms.</p>
<p>The likelihood of finding brain pathology in these brains of symptomatic players is high, but these results cannot be generalized to all former football players, many of whom are living healthy lives in retirement. </p>
<p>Second, no study has evaluated even a single living player to determine whether he or she exhibits the cognitive, psychiatric or behavioral signs of CTE and then followed that person to autopsy to verify that CTE-associated pathology actually exists in their brains.</p>
<p>So, we do not know the actual prevalence of CTE in the general population of players, though it is assuredly much lower than those quoted by studies of symptomatic players. </p>
<h2>Why do some get CTE and others do not?</h2>
<p>We also don’t know much about who develops CTE and who doesn’t. There are over 10,000 living NFL retirees, yet the entire science of CTE is based on samples of less than a few hundred former NFL players and a handful of athletes from other sports. This means that some of those exposed to the risk of repetitive head impacts develop CTE, but most do not. </p>
<p>There are several factors that may contribute to the <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11065-016-9327-z">development of brain dysfunction and disease</a>, including: </p>
<ul>
<li>medical or genetic risk factors<br></li>
<li>medical and psychiatric problems such as depression, anxiety, sleep disorders and abuse of prescription medications or other drugs and substances</li>
<li>reduced educational attainment or literacy, or socioeconomic deprivation</li>
</ul>
<p>In addition, some <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/2016/3/9/11185970/retired-nfl-players-adjusting-society-regrets-free-agency">athletes have poor adjustments to retirement</a>, leading to psycho-social and psychiatric maladjustment, marital or financial difficulties, substance abuse and other behavioral problems.</p>
<p>Repetitive head impacts may heighten risk of CTE, but other factors are undoubtedly involved in determining whether risk becomes reality. Reducing risk of CTE will involve targeting and treating these other factors as well. </p>
<h2>What parents, coaches and athletes need to know</h2>
<p>We need to take seriously the possible health consequences of prolonged exposure to repetitive head impacts and concussions. </p>
<p>That said, parental decisions to remove children from contact sports should be weighed against the many proven positive aspects of participation in team sports. Decisions should not be based on inflated risk assessment. Several studies have shown that recreational or scholastic athletic participation in youth conveys <a href="http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaneurology/fullarticle/2635831">no significant added risk</a> to brain health later in life. </p>
<p>Still, the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28566342">developing brain may be more susceptible to injury</a> and may take longer to recover. Knowledge of the individual player and his or her response to injury should guide parents, coaches and athletes in decision-making. Some youth are more injury-prone than others, and some have other conditions (e.g., ADHD, learning disability) that may affect how they react to head impact. When all factors are considered, the strongest predictor of recovery is the severity of initial symptoms.</p>
<p>All states now have legislation requiring public schools to have a <a href="http://www.momsteam.com/health-safety/every-state-has-youth-sports-concussion-safety-law">concussion program</a> in place. Parents should ask their school or athletic organization what their policies are regarding concussion management.</p>
<p>While helmet manufacturers are developing helmets that might provide greater protection, there is not enough evidence to recommend one over another. We do know, however, that <a href="http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1941738116639027">appropriate fitting of helmets </a> and protective gear is necessary to get the full protective benefit. </p>
<p>Some measures to reduce possible exposure and risk have been implemented. The <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/ivy-league-eliminates-full-contact-tackling-in-football-practices/">Dartmouth University</a> football program has significantly reduced contact practices for its football team. Other Ivy League teams and organizations have followed suit. The NCAA has recently recommended the elimination of two-a-day practices and restricted the <a href="http://www.ncaa.org/sport-science-institute/year-round-football-practice-contact-recommendations">number of contact practices allowed in football.</a> </p>
<p>Physicians and athletic trainers at the University of Florida are using data from helmet sensors originally designed to help detect concussions to inform coaching staff on which specific practice drills and pad configurations may incur higher risk so that such drills can be adjusted. </p>
<p>Ongoing research for this important issue is focused on developing techniques for accurate diagnosis while an individual is alive and understanding the exact pathophysiology that might inform future disease-modifying treatment, in addition to our current treatments aimed at reduction of symptoms. </p>
<p>For those athletes who choose to continue the sports they love, we hope for continued innovations and policies that make their participation as safe as possible.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/81794/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Russell Bauer receives funding from the Veterans' Administration and from the National Center for the Advancement of Translational Science (NIH/NCATS). </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michael S. Jaffee, M.D. previously served as National Director of the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center</span></em></p>A recent study that showed that 110 of 111 brains of deceased NFL players had a serious brain disease raised concerns once again about concussions. But there’s a lot we still need to know.Russell M. Bauer, Professor, Clinical & Health Psychology and Neurology, University of FloridaMichael S. Jaffee, Vice chair, Department of Neurology, University of FloridaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/816562017-07-27T01:58:54Z2017-07-27T01:58:54ZConcerned about concussions and brain injuries? 4 essential reads<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/179893/original/file-20170726-22117-8lctx9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Michelle Vansickle, center, of Flowery Branch, Ga., during a youth football safety clinic March 18, 2014, in Alpharetta, Ga. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Falcons-Youth-Football-Safety/21bee196159a497ba3caf47fbcfe7575/14/0">AP Photo/Jason Getz</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>Editor’s note: The following is a roundup of archival stories about concussions, including advice on how to recognize symptoms and explanations of why they can be so dangerous to children.</em></p>
<p>A study published July 25 based on <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/07/25/sports/football/nfl-cte.html?_r=0">examinations of brains of deceased NFL players</a> reported disturbing news about the prevalence of concussions. Of 111 brains examined, all but one were found to have chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, the degenerative brain disease caused by repeated blows to the head. </p>
<p>The concerns are many. </p>
<p>Evidence has been growing that concussions among young athletes occur far more frequently than reported. This leads to concerns among parents for the safety of their children who play football, soccer and other sports in which they could suffer head injuries. </p>
<p>The report also raises questions about the role and function of professional football in our society. On the one hand, <a href="https://theconversation.com/if-football-is-deadly-why-do-we-still-watch-54287">we love it</a>, with Super Bowl Sunday having become close to a national holiday and one of the most important advertising days of the year. </p>
<p>But on the other hand, the number of injuries to the heads of these professional athletes-entertainers is becoming as hard to ignore as a penalty flag on a game-winning touchdown. Yes, there are red flags, some argue, and then there are sirens – and in too many cases, they are coming from ambulances transporting wounded football players. </p>
<h2>What do parents need to know?</h2>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/179901/original/file-20170726-22117-1ik7g62.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/179901/original/file-20170726-22117-1ik7g62.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/179901/original/file-20170726-22117-1ik7g62.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/179901/original/file-20170726-22117-1ik7g62.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/179901/original/file-20170726-22117-1ik7g62.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/179901/original/file-20170726-22117-1ik7g62.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/179901/original/file-20170726-22117-1ik7g62.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Young soccer players can also be at risk for brain injuries from concussions.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/youth-sports-team-young-children-players-491585068?src=3wSrfOs1UIbFG5Ay4HWXuA-1-0">Matrix/Shutterstock.com</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Youth sports are a major part of childhood and adolescence, with an <a href="https://theconversation.com/concussions-and-kids-know-the-signs-60672">estimated 44 million children playing sports</a> each year. Many parents and teachers actively encourage sports so that kids will stay physically active. In light of the growing concerns around concussions and brain injury, parents need to know that <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-every-parent-should-know-about-concussions-34964">brain injuries can occur in many ways</a>, explained Cindy Trowbridge, an associate professor of kinesiology at the University of Texas Arlington. The young brain differs from the adult brain in ways that place it in particular peril. </p>
<blockquote>
<p>“Children have smaller brains in relation to their skulls. Compared to an adult, the young child brain has less mass and more cerebrospinal fluid between the brain and the skull. By way of analogy the child’s brain is like the egg yolk in an egg – there is room for it to move. Because children’s brains have less mass in relation to the skull, their brains experience more acceleration. This means the brain can hit the skull with more force.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Gerald Zavorsky, an associate professor at Georgia State University, explained last year just how <a href="https://theconversation.com/concussions-and-kids-know-the-signs-60672">under-reported concussions</a> are among children. This is a big concern not only because of the health effects but also because of how children’s ability to learn can be impaired. </p>
<blockquote>
<p>“[One] study estimated that between 1.1 million and 1.9 million concussions occur in children each year. That is far greater than the number of children with concussions reported by emergency departments; their records indicates the number ranges between 115,000 to 167,000.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Zavorsky went on to detail how this not only affects children’s health but also their learning. </p>
<blockquote>
<p>“While rare, the effects of an untreated concussions can stay with a child for many years. The effects can cause brain malfunction, including a lack of focus and difficulty learning. Also, the risk for longer-term problems increases if a child has a second concussion… It is imperative to avoid sending a child back into a game or activity if head trauma has occurred.”</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>What do kids need to know?</h2>
<p>Young athletes need to be encouraged to <a href="https://theconversation.com/many-kids-still-dont-report-concussion-symptoms-how-can-we-change-that-72312">report a blow to the head, dizziness</a> and, indeed, any type of pain they feel, wrote J. Douglas Coatsworth of Colorado State University. But adults need to help children change a culture of “taking one for the team,” or continuing to play when injured. </p>
<blockquote>
<p>“We know characteristics of youth athletes, such as the knowledge they have about concussion, their attitudes about how serious symptoms are and their beliefs that if they report a concussion they will let the team down, all influence whether they will report concussion symptoms.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Coatsworth is conducting a study to see whether changes in adult attitudes could affect how children report. </p>
<blockquote>
<p>“Hiding symptoms of concussion and continuing to play in sports can result in subsequent injury, delayed recovery, delayed access to treatment and risk of catastrophic injury. An Institute of Medicine and National Research Council report on youth concussion concluded young athletes face a ‘culture of resistance’ to reporting.”</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>What our society may need to consider</h2>
<p>Even though football is one of our nation’s most beloved pastimes, some people are wondering not only whether they should forbid their children to play the game but even whether to allow them to watch it. In turn, they also wonder whether they themselves should watch the games. </p>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/are-parents-morally-obligated-to-forbid-their-kids-from-playing-football-39764">Kathleen Bachynski</a>, a doctoral candidate in sociomedical sciences at Columbia University Medical Center, explained how this can be a difficult decision.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“Parents generally have final say over the activities their kids participate in. Should they…forbid their children from playing football? Unfortunately, there’s no simple answer. Instead, a host of issues – cultural, social and physical – need to be weighed.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>And, Trowbidge reminded parents that the discussions go beyond football. Children <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-every-parent-should-know-about-concussions-34964">can be injured in many types of activities</a> and parents should know that concussions can occur from trauma other than a blow to the head.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/81656/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
A study of the brains of 111 NFL players after their deaths showed that 110 had degenerative brain disease. Here are some expert analyses of what can be done to stop brain injury from sports.Lynne Anderson, Senior Health + Medicine Editor, The Conversation, USLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/756862017-04-03T20:30:20Z2017-04-03T20:30:20ZBaseball season begins: Five essential reads<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/163708/original/image-20170403-21938-1diqwzg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Members of the grounds crew spray the field before the Opening Day game between the Washington Nationals and the Miami Marlins.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Marlins-Nationals-Baseball/2a2920e1920c4032826586a3eda5d137/34/0">AP Photo/Alex Brandon</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>“People ask me what I do in winter when there’s no baseball,” National Baseball Hall of Fame second baseman Rogers Hornsby <a href="http://www.baseball-almanac.com/quotes/quohorn.shtml">once said</a>. “I’ll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring.”</p>
<p>For baseball fans across the country, the moment has come. But while Opening Day kicks off a 162-game season that has its fair share of drama on the field, what happens off the field can be just as interesting. Our writers, in this compilation of previously published articles, tell baseball stories that involve architecture, the media, politics, race and health.</p>
<h2>Take me out to the ballgame (or not)</h2>
<p>If you’re lucky enough to score tickets to a game this week, take a moment to check out the design of your home team’s stadium. Allison Mast and Kevin Murphy detail baseball’s stadium renaissance over the past three decades, and how <a href="https://theconversation.com/stadium-design-baseballs-saving-grace-43101">one company played a key role</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“Populous, a Kansas City-based architecture firm, has been at the forefront of this movement. The firm is responsible for 17 of the 30 ballparks currently in use by major league teams. Some of their more successful projects have brought new life to watching baseball games in person, thanks in part to their contextualized approach to design – the idea that the architecture and design of ballparks should be influenced by their locations.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Even if you can’t make it to the ballpark, you’ll be able to easily listen or watch your favorite team on the radio or TV. Don’t take this luxury for granted: As communication professor Jim Walker explains, when radio broadcasts were first introduced, the new technology created sharp divisions among baseball owners. He tells <a href="https://theconversation.com/nearly-100-years-ago-baseball-almost-banned-broadcasts-38150">the story of the battle between pro- and anti-radio factions</a> that almost led to the sport banning the new medium:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“While radio’s popularity couldn’t be denied, half of baseball’s barons – mostly located along the East Coast – viewed radio as a fifth estate thief, robbing them of paying customers at the gate. And in this era, the gate was everything.”</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>A messy racial legacy</h2>
<p>This season marks the 70th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier. In the short version of the story, Brooklyn Dodgers executive Branch Rickey gets credit for going against the wishes of most owners to desegregate the game. But according to journalism professor Chris Lamb, Robinson’s signing was actually <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-politics-played-a-major-role-in-the-signing-of-jackie-robinson-56890">the culmination of a long campaign</a> waged by the left-wing press, labor unions and progressive politicians:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“The Communist newspaper The Daily Worker began campaigning for integration in baseball shortly after Jesse Owens won four gold medals at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin…. At the same time, labor unions organized picket lines and petition drives outside major league ballparks, collecting more than a million signatures.”</p>
</blockquote>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/163732/original/image-20170403-21969-eb0uto.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/163732/original/image-20170403-21969-eb0uto.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/163732/original/image-20170403-21969-eb0uto.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=388&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/163732/original/image-20170403-21969-eb0uto.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=388&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/163732/original/image-20170403-21969-eb0uto.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=388&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/163732/original/image-20170403-21969-eb0uto.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=487&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/163732/original/image-20170403-21969-eb0uto.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=487&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/163732/original/image-20170403-21969-eb0uto.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=487&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Jackie Robinson is shown at Ebbets Field in April 1947.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Associated-Press-Sports-New-York-United-States-/6a944a1dfce6da11af9f0014c2589dfb/28/0">Associated Press</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Robinson’s landmark 1947 season didn’t end baseball’s race problem. In a different piece, Lamb tells the story of an all-black Charleston, South Carolina Little League team that thought they’d be competing in the 1955 Little League World Series – <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-bigotry-crushed-the-dreams-of-an-all-black-little-league-team-63484">only to have their dreams dashed</a>: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>“When I was a journalism professor at the College of Charleston, I first learned about how the presence of a single black all-star team was enough to cause one of the biggest crises in Little League history. The white teams in South Carolina refused to play against them. Hundreds of Southern white teams left Little League Baseball in protest and joined a segregated youth baseball organization. More than 60 years later, to many former Cannon Street players, the lost opportunity still stings.”</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>Playing it safe</h2>
<p>As the MLB season kicks off, kids across the country will also be suiting up for their local Little League team. Some coaches and parents, however, might be nervous about an ailment in young pitchers that has become more common in recent years: arm injuries. </p>
<p>Kinesiologist Sakiko Oyama describes why the unnatural motion of throwing a baseball creates so much stress on the shoulder and elbow joints, why young pitchers have become especially vulnerable, <a href="https://theconversation.com/could-video-technology-help-prevent-injuries-in-young-pitchers-40063">and how research she conducted may offer some tips</a> for how to prevent added stress on developing arms:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“My colleagues and I wondered if there were certain unknown ‘tells’ in the pitching motion. In our recent research, we focused on pitchers’ trunk movement pattern – which can be identified using video recordings – and studied whether the movement pattern is linked to increased joint loading.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>If you want your kid to be the next Zack Greinke (and not become <a href="http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/10114185/mark-prior-retiring-injury-filled-career">another Mark Prior</a>), you might want to take some notes.</p>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/75686/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
The national pastime is more than just a sport. In this roundup, we feature stories about baseball’s relationship to race, politics, the media and health.Nick Lehr, Arts + Culture EditorLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/720442017-03-06T02:18:02Z2017-03-06T02:18:02ZWhy artificial turf may truly be bad for kids<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/156241/original/image-20170209-8646-8j5v4k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Soccer player on artificial turf. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/synthetic-soccer-field-467227091?src=9j3C6qf-X6FT0S9dElf_bw-1-40">From www.shutterstock.com</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>If you want to get a soccer mom’s attention, bring up the subject of artificial turf, the preferred playing surface for children from pre-K to college – or at least preferred by school boards and parks and recreation departments.</p>
<p>From concerns about <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12394868">concussions</a> to <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/27/health/artificial-turf-cancer-study-profile/">cancer</a>, parents have become alarmed by reports in the media of increased injuries and illnesses. </p>
<p>And there is the further question of who is responsible for assuring the safety of these fields: the <a href="https://www.epa.gov">Environmental Protection Agency</a>? The <a href="https://www.cpsc.gov">Centers for Disease Control</a>? The<a href="https://www.cpsc.gov"> Consumer Product Safety Commission</a>? </p>
<p>As an environmental health professor who has examined a variety of environmental problems and as a soccer dad who watched my son play on these fields for years, I think it’s worth examining the facts and myths about artificial turf fields and what hazards may or may not be associated with playing on them. Based on studies I have reviewed and conducted, I believe there is a potential health risk, because of the chemicals in tires, which are recycled into crumbs to support the plastic blades of synthetic grass.</p>
<h2>Just what is it, anyway?</h2>
<p>Artificial turf is made up of three major parts: </p>
<ol>
<li>Backing material that will serve to hold the individual blades of artificial grass.</li>
<li>The plastic blades themselves.</li>
<li>The infill, those tiny black crumbs, that helps support the blades.</li>
</ol>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/155703/original/image-20170206-18529-18ehj5y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/155703/original/image-20170206-18529-18ehj5y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=403&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/155703/original/image-20170206-18529-18ehj5y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=403&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/155703/original/image-20170206-18529-18ehj5y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=403&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/155703/original/image-20170206-18529-18ehj5y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=506&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/155703/original/image-20170206-18529-18ehj5y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=506&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/155703/original/image-20170206-18529-18ehj5y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=506&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The crumbs of artificial turf.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Various pigments are used to provide the green color of the blades. These can include lead or titanium for the white lines and still other metals for school logos on the field.</p>
<p>Those little black crumbs are the problems. Tires can be toxic.</p>
<p>Modern tires <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/greener-tires/">are a mixture</a> of natural and synthetic rubber, carbon black – a material made from petroleum – and somewhere between four and 10 gallons of petroleum products. They also contain metals, including cadmium, lead, which is neurotoxic, and zinc. </p>
<p>Some of the chemicals in tires, such as dibenzopyrenes, are known <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22352997">carcinogens</a>. </p>
<p>Also, in addition to chemicals used in the manufacture of the tire, any chemical the tires were exposed to in their use can become absorbed on the carbon black in the tires. </p>
<h2>More to the problem than crumbs</h2>
<p>Even though artificial turf does not have to be mowed,<br>
it turns out that <a href="http://www.simpleturf.com/artificial-lawn-turf-maintenance-warranty/">crabgrass and other weeds</a> can start growing in it. To keep its finely manicured appearance, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/what-to-know-before-you-spray-your-lawn-with-pesticides/2014/07/07/77d719a2-f63c-11e3-a606-946fd632f9f1_story.html?utm_term=.763d7c159726">weedkillers</a> need to be applied, a relatively common practice. </p>
<p>Unfortunately, a variety of <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/weed-whacking-herbicide-p/">health concerns</a> have been linked to these products.</p>
<p>Also, artificial turf is often treated with biocides, as turf has been associated with increased risk of infections from Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mrsa/">MRSA</a> is a dangerous infection because it is resistant to many antibiotics. It can lead to pneumonia, sepsis and bloodstream infections that can prove fatal. An MRSA infection can happen after skin is scraped or cut, which can occur from sliding on artificial turf.</p>
<p>Biocides, however,<a href="https://ehjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1476-069X-9-7"> may have toxic effects of their own</a>. And, they may also contribute to increased resistance of bacteria to the efficacy of these agents. </p>
<h2>The list of drawbacks goes on…and on…</h2>
<p>Fields with artificial turf tend to get far hotter than grass fields. <a href="http://plantscience.psu.edu/research/centers/ssrc/documents/temperature.pdf">Field surface temperatures</a> can reach as high as 200 degrees Fahrenheit. At these temperatures, even with athletic shoes on, children can get burned feet. It is rare, even on a very hot day, that natural grass exceeds half that (100°F).</p>
<p>While manufacturers recommend spraying fields with water to keep the temperature down, this improvement can vanish in as little as 20 minutes.</p>
<p>Because it is laid over either concrete or compacted earth, artificial turf is a harder surface than grass. This can increase the risk of injuries, particularly concussions.</p>
<p>The unit used to describe hardness is <a href="http://plantscience.psu.edu/research/centers/turf/extension/factsheets/playing-surfaces/gmax">Gmax</a>. While different numbers have been reported for the Gmax for artificial turf, ranging from the high 60’s to over 125, it is important to keep in mind that these numbers are highly dependent on the substrate, temperature, age and maintenance of the field. The key is that the higher the number, the higher the likelihood of concussion. </p>
<h2>Can the tire chemicals get into kids?</h2>
<p>The key question on exposure is: Do these chemicals get into children playing on these fields? </p>
<p>While it is true that the tire crumbs are large, it is easy to show that they don’t necessarily remain large over the life of the field. <a href="http://www.nj.gov/dep/dsr/publications/artificial-turf-report.pdf">In a New Jersey study</a> we employed a robot we call <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4311520/">PIPER</a> (Pretoddler Inhalable Particulate Environmental Robotic) to study if there were inhalable exposures from the artificial turf. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/155035/original/image-20170131-3285-t8fxn3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/155035/original/image-20170131-3285-t8fxn3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/155035/original/image-20170131-3285-t8fxn3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/155035/original/image-20170131-3285-t8fxn3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/155035/original/image-20170131-3285-t8fxn3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/155035/original/image-20170131-3285-t8fxn3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/155035/original/image-20170131-3285-t8fxn3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/155035/original/image-20170131-3285-t8fxn3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">PIPER collecting air sample on artificial turf field.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Personal photo</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>We showed the tiny particles from the turf can become suspended in air above the field and inhaled by children playing on the field. What has become apparent is that <a href="http://www2.mst.dk/udgiv/publications/2008/978-87-7052-866-5/html/images/fig6_1.jpg">microscopic carbon black particles</a> break off from the crumb rubber and are small enough to be inhalable. Additionally, the blades of grass can also break down into microscopic particles over years of exposure to sunlight and weather, forming a respirable dust. </p>
<p>How do these particles get into a child? </p>
<p>Think of the “Peanuts” comic strip character Pig Pen, the child always followed around by a visible cloud. The truth is that all children – indeed, all people – have a cloud around them of microscopic particles. This personal micro-environment of dust particles, invisible to the naked eye, is just as real as Pig Pen’s. </p>
<p>These small particles and their chemicals can be inhaled or swallowed by a child.</p>
<h2>And if so, do they cause illness?</h2>
<p>A clear answer on whether artificial turf increases the risk of injury or illness is far more challenging. </p>
<p>Let’s consider the two major concerns with regard to artificial turf: cancer and neurologic effects. </p>
<p>The question of cancer and artificial turf gained significant national attention in the U.S. with a series of news stories on NBC Nightly News regarding a cluster of cancers in <a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/artificial-turf-debate/how-safe-artificial-turf-your-child-plays-n220166">young women soccer players</a>. </p>
<p>A cancer cluster is the appearance of an unusually high rate of cancer in one location in a particular time frame. The story, while dismissed by the turf industry, again resurfaced in the <a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/artificial-turf-debate/mom-cancer-stricken-soccer-player-wants-answers-artificial-turf-n435146">fall of 2015</a>. </p>
<p>Information has continued to accrue on this cancer <a href="https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/cancer-clusters-fact-sheet#q1">cluster</a>. While as many as <a href="https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-causes/general-info/cancer-clusters.html">80 percent of suspected cancer clusters are determined not to be true increases in cancer cases</a> and due only to random chance, the problem is that, without detailed and often expensive scientific investigation, whether it is real or not cannot be determined. </p>
<p>Just recently the <a href="http://www.doh.wa.gov/Portals/1/Documents/Pubs/210-091.pdf">Washington State Department of Health issued a report</a> on its study of the reported cancer cluster in these soccer players. Their report found no evidence of a causal effect of playing on artificial turf and cancer. As they acknowledge, that does not mean there is no risk, only that this study did not find one. They also suggested there is still room for broader investigation on this question.</p>
<p>What about the potential risk of neurologic impairment from ingestion or inhalation of any lead present in the turf? The lead can be present in both the blades, as a color pigment for logos and white lines, as well as in the infill crumb rubber. For more information on lead, see <a href="https://theconversation.com/toxic-lead-can-stay-in-the-body-for-years-after-exposure-53607">my earlier article for The Conversation</a>.</p>
<h2>What’s the bottom line on safety?</h2>
<p>While the turf <a href="http://www.fieldturf.com/en/innovation/research-and-studies">industry says it’s safe</a>, we know that <a href="http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/publications/Documents/Tires%5C43296029.pdf">tires</a> contain established carcinogens. If we considered only what tires are made of, we would think they should be classified as hazardous waste, though currently EPA classifies tires as municipal waste. </p>
<p>The EPA has been conducting research into the question of <a href="https://www.epa.gov/chemical-research/tire-crumb-questions-and-answers">toxicity of crumb rubber</a>, but the jury is still out.</p>
<p>There is little question in the mind of many scientists that crumb rubber should not be a first choice material for children to play on. Parents should be able to just enjoy watching their children playing sports and not worry that they are being put unnecessarily at risk.</p>
<p><em>A correction was made to this article March 23, 2017 to accurately describe MRSA, which is Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus, not Multi-drug Resistant Staphylococcus aureus, as was originally stated. In addition, MRSA is not flesh-eating bacteria. It can cause serious consequences, including sepsis and bloodstream infections.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/72044/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Stuart Shalat received funding from New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.</span></em></p>Artificial turf has become popular for kids’ sports as well as for professional players. The little black crumbs that help support the blades of fake grass may not be so harmless.Stuart Shalat, Professor and Director of the Division of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Georgia State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/723122017-02-02T21:20:22Z2017-02-02T21:20:22ZMany kids still don’t report concussion symptoms. How can we change that?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/155288/original/image-20170202-22563-yu6zfu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A mother from suburban Atlanta attending an educational session about concussions with Falcons fullback Patrick DiMarco in 2014. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Jason Getz/AP</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://www.nfl.com/super-bowl">As Superbowl LI</a> between the Atlanta Falcons and the New England Patriots approaches, football fans reflect on a season of intense competition, hard-fought battles and the tenacity of elite professional athletes. Among the over 100 million fans watching the game this Sunday will be approximately <a href="http://www.espn.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/15210245/slight-one-year-increase-number-youth-playing-football-data-shows">three million youth</a> athletes who play the game themselves.</p>
<p>Entangled in the enthusiasm and attention to professional football is the <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/30/us/nfl-concussions-fast-facts/">conversation of concussive injury</a> and how playing professional football is related to brain injuries, neurocognitive problems and neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). </p>
<p>The National Football League has taken steps to protect their players from head injuries, such as changing rules and improving equipment, yet as the <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/despite-modest-decline-nfl-concussion-rate-remains-work-in-progress-1485459791">Wall Street Journal</a> reports, rates in 2015 declined only slightly. </p>
<p>And while most of the media attention is directed at professional athletes, concussion and brain injuries are also a concern for soldiers in the military and for millions of youth athletes. Rates of concussion in these groups have led researchers and medical professionals to identify concussion as a <a href="http://www.mdedge.com/neurologyreviews/article/81884/alzheimers-cognition/concussion-public-health-crisis">public health crisis</a>.</p>
<p>As a prevention scientist, I’ve worked extensively with schools and community groups to change personal, social and environmental factors that contribute to unhealthy behaviors such as adolescent substance use, risky sexual behavior or violence. Many of the methods used to address those public health issues can be applied to youth concussions as well. </p>
<h2>A widespread problem</h2>
<p>About <a href="http://www.aspenprojectplay.org/the-facts">56 percent of youth</a> ages 6-17 play an organized sport, and the Centers for Disease Control estimates that each year in the United States, between 1.6 and 3.8 million youth suffer a concussion. </p>
<p>Growing media attention and new educational opportunities, such as the CDC’s <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/headsup/youthsports/">Heads Up program</a>, seek to inform and encourage reporting of concussion and include specific programs to help coaches, parents, health care providers and athletes learn about the signs of concussion and the need to report them. <a href="http://www.jsams.org/article/S1440-2440(14)00134-0/abstract">Research indicates</a>, however, that youth athletes may still underreport concussion. </p>
<p>A survey of Massachusetts youth indicated that almost half of athletes who experienced concussion symptoms continued to play that day, and <a href="http://www.mass.gov/eohhs/docs/dph/behavioral-risk/sports-related-concussions-among-youth-2015.pdf">only one-third stopped playing</a> and were checked by a doctor <a href="http://www.mass.gov/eohhs/docs/dph/behavioral-risk/sports-related-concussions-among-youth-2015.pdf">that day</a>. </p>
<p>Hiding symptoms of concussion and continuing to play in sports can result in subsequent injury, delayed recovery, delayed access to treatment and risk of catastrophic injury. An Institute of Medicine and National Research Council report on youth concussion concluded young athletes face a <a href="https://www.nap.edu/catalog/18377/sports-related-concussions-in-youth-improving-the-science-changing-the">“culture of resistance”</a> to reporting. It found research is needed to understand individual and social factors that create this culture and how it can be changed.</p>
<p>My colleague, <a href="https://www.orthohealth.com/staff/alissa-wicklund-phd-abpp-cn/">Alissa Wicklund</a>, who leads the Regional Concussion Center at the Orthopaedic and Spine Center of the Rockies, and I have a research project to address these issues. The project is part of the <a href="http://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/media-center/news/mind-matters-challenge-research-winners-announced">MindMatters Challenge</a>, funded by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Department of Defense (DOD), and focuses on three questions: </p>
<ol>
<li><p>What factors influence whether youth report concussion symptoms? </p></li>
<li><p>How to characterize and measure the culture of resistance? </p></li>
<li><p>How to change the culture of resistance? </p></li>
</ol>
<p>Although much of the research in this NCAA-DOD initiative focuses on collegiate athletics or the military, or both, our team of developmental clinical psychologists and athletic trainers will work with middle and high school youth. The students will be from nine schools in northern Colorado. The research team will try to shape the early knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and behaviors around concussion reporting. </p>
<p>We know characteristics of youth athletes, such as the knowledge they have about concussion, their attitudes about how serious symptoms are and their beliefs that if they report a concussion they will let the team down, all influence <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3109/02699052.2014.904049?journalCode=ibij20">whether they will report</a> concussion symptoms. </p>
<p>But to understand the culture of resistance, our study is gathering data about the knowledge, beliefs and attitudes of coaches, parents and peers – the key people in the athletes’ social networks that influence athletes’ decisions whether or not to report concussion symptoms. </p>
<p>We will study the environmental factors such as access to concussion materials and whether schools, districts or states have concussion reporting policies. While some studies have examined different factors independently, our study looks at them together to gain a fuller picture of the “culture” that middle school and high school athletes exist in. </p>
<p>Because we believe the culture may differ for girls and boys, in different schools or by sports and teams (girls’ volleyball vs. boys’ football), we will examine these subcultures and their influences on youth concussion reporting.</p>
<h2>Involving stakeholders to change the culture</h2>
<p>To change the culture, we are testing a process in which key members of the schools (students, teacher, coaches, trainers, parents) will learn about concussion, examining the data from their school. From there, the intent is to discuss what the data suggest is needed to change the culture, create an action plan for using evidence-based programs, practices or policies, and then implement those programs and policies in their schools. Rather than implementing identical programs at each school, the process emphasizes school-specific practices so schools will choose the interventions that are likely to work most efficiently and best for them. </p>
<p>Our intervention is based on empirically validated processes that have been used to change school and community “cultures” of substance use and violence. </p>
<p>Programs that teach about concussion are not likely to be sufficient, some studies have shown, and may in some cases <a href="http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1090198114543011">have a negative effect</a> on reporting behavior. We believe it will be important to take a broader approach that also addresses the emotional aspects of sport participation and nonreporting, the social pressures such as feeling embarrassed, letting the team down or being perceived as weak. We also need to look at the relationships athletes have with coaches and parents.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/155289/original/image-20170202-22575-uqhwlv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/155289/original/image-20170202-22575-uqhwlv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=396&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/155289/original/image-20170202-22575-uqhwlv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=396&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/155289/original/image-20170202-22575-uqhwlv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=396&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/155289/original/image-20170202-22575-uqhwlv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=497&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/155289/original/image-20170202-22575-uqhwlv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=497&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/155289/original/image-20170202-22575-uqhwlv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=497&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Memphis teen Gracie Hussey, who suffered headaches and nausea after concussions from heading soccer balls.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Karen Pulfer Focht/AP</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Youth sports have many <a href="https://www.aspenprojectplay.org/the-facts">positive benefits</a> that can last a lifetime. Keeping youths safe in sport should be a primary objective of all individuals involved in youth athletics. While changes in equipment, coaching, rules and style of play can all contribute to reducing the likelihood of sport-related concussions, trainers must also be aware of the social, emotional and behavioral factors that contribute to whether an athlete will disclose symptoms. The diagnosis and treatment of concussions is almost entirely dependent on athletes’ accurate reporting of symptoms to parents, trainers and coaches. Effectively addressing the public health concern of concussion non-reporting in youth sports will require the active involvement and dedicated efforts of parents, coaches, peers, teammates, administrators, athletic trainers and medical personnel.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/72312/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Doug Coatsworth receives funding from NIDA, SAMHSA, NCA/DOD</span></em></p>The Super Bowl is a good time to party and celebrate, but it’s also a good time to reflect on where we stand culturally with concussions.J. Douglas Coatsworth, Professor of Human Development and Family Studies, Colorado State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/626762016-09-15T01:57:55Z2016-09-15T01:57:55ZCan headband sensors reduce underreported concussions in kids?<p>In one of the most exciting soccer games of the season, Kelly jumped to head the ball and score, imagining this would be the game-winning goal. Out of nowhere, the goalie jumped and met Kelly’s head with both fists. Kelly felt the jolt and landed harshly on the grass. Most of all, she was furious she had been robbed of the opportunity to score. </p>
<p>Next to Kelly, the goalie screamed and got most of the attention from players and coaches because of a broken finger. Kelly wanted to get back on the field. Her teammates and coach asked if she was fine. She said yes and was helped up by her teammates. When she heard the applause from the sidelines she was convinced she was doing right by her team. </p>
<p>Fortunately for her, her coach noticed Kelly was unable to track balls in the air when she was back on the field; she seemed to be squinting and was not smiling as usual. She asked Kelly to sit for the rest of the game. Kelly developed a headache and her coach recommended that her parents take her to the ER to be examined for a possible concussion.</p>
<p>Scenes like this true story, even though Kelly’s name has been changed, occur thousands of times every day around the country. With football and soccer in full swing in schools and recreation leagues around the country, it is important to continue to draw attention to the real risk for concussions that youngsters face – and to try to find solutions. </p>
<p>Concussions in football have drawn a lot of attention, but men’s and women’s soccer account for at least <a href="https://www.ncaa.org/sites/default/files/SMH_Guideline_21_20160217.pdf">19 percent</a> of concussive sports injuries. While those of us who study concussions know they are common, we also know they are difficult to assess.</p>
<p>When an athlete has difficulty standing up, walking or talking after a “hit,” or collision with another athlete, it is easier to suspect a concussion. Often, however, such an immediate symptom does not occur. A recent study suggested that <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0ahUKEwiG56WH-ozPAhUFRyYKHXocC0MQFggcMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpediatrics.aappublications.org%2Fcontent%2Fpediatrics%2F138%2F1%2Fe20154635.full.pdf%3Fdownload%3Dtrue&usg=AFQjCNH-ChBv7eTnzr9uiYiZoWlBzDvayA&sig2=bQoZe5IprhHyAGzV0QrIng&cad=rja">more than half a million</a> concussions in youth go unreported. Too often, the athlete is asked to provide a self-evaluation seconds after a traumatic brain injury. </p>
<p>Unfortunately, in most cases the outward signs of concussion are <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/traumaticbraininjury/symptoms.html">subtle and easy to miss</a>. When it occurs a few feet from the ball, it can go unnoticed. The NFL and now the larger collegiate football conferences <a href="http://operations.nfl.com/the-game/gameday-behind-the-scenes/atc-spotters/">include spotters</a> and a physician whose primary role is to look out for the player’s safety.</p>
<p>This, however, leaves about <a href="http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2016/06/16/peds.2015-4635">98 percent of players</a> in high school, middle school and all youth leagues without the benefit of these safety measures. Between <a href="http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2016/06/16/peds.2015-4635">1.1 million and 1.9 million concussions occur</a> in children each year. That is far greater than the number of children with concussions reported by emergency departments; their records indicate the number <a href="http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2016/06/16/peds.2015-4635">ranges between 115,000 and 167,000</a>.</p>
<p>Given the <a href="https://theconversation.com/concussions-and-kids-know-the-signs-60672">desire of the players</a> to compete and not to disappoint their teammates as well as <a href="https://theconversation.com/concussions-and-kids-know-the-signs-60672">lack of awareness of the early symptoms</a> of concussion and the importance of avoiding a second concussive injury, many athletes return to playing after having experienced a concussion. </p>
<p>Swelling following a concussion reduces the brain’s ability to absorb a <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/concussion/basics/complications/con-20019272">second impact</a>. In addition, concussion often results in impaired peripheral vision and coordination, increasing the likelihood of a second impact.</p>
<p>Asking the person who has been concussed to self-diagnose makes little sense. As measurement experts, we sought to come up with a solution to unreported concussions. </p>
<h2>Heading off an often debilitating diagnosis</h2>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/137770/original/image-20160914-4980-ncx53w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/137770/original/image-20160914-4980-ncx53w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/137770/original/image-20160914-4980-ncx53w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/137770/original/image-20160914-4980-ncx53w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/137770/original/image-20160914-4980-ncx53w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/137770/original/image-20160914-4980-ncx53w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/137770/original/image-20160914-4980-ncx53w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Asking a child to self-report a head injury is unreliable.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-294435863/stock-photo-sports-injury-youth-asian-thai-soccer-player-in-blue-uniform-painful-child-closed-eyes-and-touching-his-forehead-on-white-background-studio-shot-boy-lie-down-top-view.html?src=JYz0xN1VyURQ7b1TTQkdKg-1-32">From www.shutterstock.com</a></span>
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<p>Having kids who participated in youth, high school and college sports, we recognized the need for a simple device that could detect if a player had experienced a blow to the head. Unlike most parents, we collectively have over 50 years of experience in experimental measurement science. </p>
<p>We sought to detect the magnitude and location of the head impact in order to provide information for parents, coaches and health care providers as an aid in determining if a concussion has taken place. </p>
<p>We set out to design a device that could be used as an extension of the clinical evaluation by showing the location and magnitude of a head impact. Given that impact sensing is outside our immediate field of expertise, which involves ultrafast lasers and single layers of molecules, we partnered with Michigan State University’s football and soccer athletic trainers and players to evaluate our initial prototypes. From each meeting and trial, we learned what works best, and what simply does not work. </p>
<p>We initially thought of using accelerometers similar to those on smart phones that can sense abrupt changes in direction; however, our experience with sometimes finicky high-tech gadgets and continuously updating operating systems forced us to seek a more reliable platform.</p>
<p>We focused on the use of a recording media that would respond to localized pressure. We then developed a sensor design that could be calibrated so that the measurements would accurately reflect how severe a head impact is. Finally, we tested multiple headbands and skullcaps to come up with a design that would be comfortable to wear. </p>
<p>The help from Michigan State Head Athletic Trainer Dr. Sally Nogle and neurologist Dr. David Kaufman was critically important to capture the essence of the problems encountered in the field. </p>
<p>One of the biggest problems in keeping players safe is that it is hard to keep track of all the players. Therefore, it is important to have a rapid on-site sensor that records the magnitude and location of a head impact. Nogle and Kaufman stressed that only a trained professional can diagnose a concussion. But knowing the location and severity of the impact can help them determine if a player should be kept from returning to the field before a concussion protocol. </p>
<p>The process took 18 months, 200 failed prototypes and several broken accelerometers, which are used for calibrating the magnitude of impact. Ultimately we arrived at a headband or cap design that contains four sensor strips that were used by several football and men’s and women’s soccer players during the spring 2016 season. The sensor strips have four to six sensors each that are easy to read.</p>
<p>Our sensors measure force, which, according to <a href="http://teachertech.rice.edu/Participants/louviere/Newton/law2.html">Newton’s second law</a>, equals mass times acceleration. Therefore, unlike accelerometers that are sensitive to motion, our sensors take into account mass and are sensitive to force. In practical terms, this means our sensors are much less likely to indicate false impacts.</p>
<p>When impacted, the sensors show an image that can be understood intuitively: no image for a weak impact, a circle for moderate impact or a circle with a star inside for a severe impact. These sensors have no electronic components, so there is no need to interface them with a phone or computer. </p>
<p>We can’t yet disclose all the technology <strong>that</strong> in the patent-pending sensor strips, which we intend to further develop and sell through a <a href="http://roshsensors.com/">company we formed</a>. The sensor strips are calibrated using a testing system developed to simulate the actual size, shape and weight of a human head attached to a flexible neck. </p>
<p>In addition, industrial electronic accelerometers capable of taking impacts are five to 10 times greater than those associated with concussion are used to calibrate the design parameters of the sensor strips. </p>
<p>We would like to see that their affordable sensors make youth sports safer and minimize the risk of repeated concussive injuries. They would like to know that the next time a soccer player wants to get up and return to the playing field, there will be a way to let coaches, trainers and/or parents know the location and severity of a head impact. This information can help in making a better-informed decision regarding the possibility of concussion. The hope is to put information in the hands of professionals, so that more severe traumatic brain injuries can be avoided.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/62676/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Gary Blanchard is founder and member of MTBIsense LLC. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Marcos Dantus is founder and member of MTBIsense LLC. </span></em></p>As many as half a million concussions in youth go unreported each year. Finding a way to measure whether a hit has occurred on the field is an important way to address these injuries.Gary Blanchard, Professor of Chemistry, Michigan State UniversityMarcos Dantus, Professor of Chemistry, Michigan State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/645132016-09-05T09:45:14Z2016-09-05T09:45:14ZWant an Olympic legacy? Get primary school children trying out a range of different sports<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/136444/original/image-20160902-20220-1gkhtl5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">See the world from another angle. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Cherry-Merry/www.shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>With sports lovers still basking in the gleam of Great Britain’s Olympic medal haul from Rio and now looking forward to a clutch of golds at the Paralympics, a BBC campaign is encouraging British school children to “<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/get-inspired">Get Inspired</a>” by Team GB’s success and emulate their sporting heroes.</p>
<p>However laudable this is, it comes amid a general decline in children’s basic skills at running, jumping, throwing, catching and kicking. Worrying findings across the world show that the movement skills of <a href="http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00964/full">today’s children</a> are less well developed than previous generations. A <a href="http://europepmc.org/abstract/med/26342797">recent study</a> in the UK also found children’s movement skills to be poor.</p>
<p>Without these basic skills at moving, most children will fail to find “their sport”. <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26201678">Research has found</a> that children who are skillful tend to be more confident in their ability to perform these skills and, consequently, are more likely to engage in physical activity, which in turn creates opportunities for further skill development. The reverse is also true. Children with low skill levels are less likely to have confidence in their abilities, are less likely to engage in physical activity and, over time, are more likely to drop out of sport and become obese. </p>
<h2>Get children moving</h2>
<p>There is now a body of work that argues that the primary school years are crucial in the path to both lifelong physical activity and elite sports performance. During this phase, children are in what’s called their “sampling years”, where the emphasis <a href="http://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ816014">should be on experimenting</a> with new or different kinds of movement while having fun. </p>
<p>Recent <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27526635">research</a> has also shown that skill development at this critical stage is too important to leave to an ad-hoc approach. The study was led by one of us, James Rudd. By monitoring 333 children with an average age of eight, we found that a 16-week programme of educational gymnastics – tumbling, jumping, controlled falling and moving in gravity-defying ways – gave a boost to their stability and object-control skills. These movements are essential aspects of skill development as they enable children to maintain their balance and retain control of their bodies in dynamic situations. The mechanisms which control balance are tightly linked to our sensory system and, as such, are integral not only to sports, but to everything we do. </p>
<p>So while young children shouldn’t just focus on gymnastics, it should be included as part of a balanced and varied training programme that involves lots of varied movements. One example of this can be seen with RSC Anderlecht, an elite sport club implementing a sampling approach combining football and gymnastics.</p>
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<h2>Take your pick</h2>
<p><a href="http://www.issponline.org/documents/positionstand2009-1.pdf">Sampling a wide range</a> of different sports can not only help develop children’s movement skills but also their emotional and cognitive skills. One moment they’re playing football with ten other children and are only allowed to use their feet and two days later they’re playing basketball with four other children and are only allowed to use their hands. </p>
<p>This sampling develops a broad set of physical competencies that can transfer from one sport to another. It also teaches children to understand tactics, which can be transferable from one sport to another. For example, creating space in basketball has much in common with football, while outwitting an opponent in badminton is similar to tennis and volleyball. Children can also learn psychological skills such as how to set goals that they can use both in other sports, and other areas of life. </p>
<p>There are also social benefits, as playing a range of sports connects young people to a range of friends and role models. Young people who specialise in one sport may have a narrow range of friends and their sense of identity is often fragile as it is largely focused on one sport, for example: “I am a footballer”. This might not end well if the young person is released from their football club resulting in the loss of their social network, positive identity, and potential career. </p>
<h2>Learn from the best</h2>
<p>Specialising in one sport at an early age <a href="http://ojs.sagepub.com/content/4/4/2325967116644241.full">can lead</a> to burn out as young people can lose the love of sport and their intrinsic motivation. This is not to say that participants should never focus on a specific sport, rather that participants <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22974248">should develop a good foundation</a> of skills by sampling a range of activities until their early teens. </p>
<p>Perhaps a good example of this is the 21-year-old Olympic swimming sensation Adam Peaty who reportedly only started training specifically in swimming at the <a href="http://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/who-is-adam-peaty-10-things-you-might-not-know-about-the-olympic-gold-medal-swimmer/story-29596699-detail/story.html">age of 14</a>. Four-time Olympic gold medallist Laura Trott <a href="http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/381793/Laura-Trott-Asthma-made-me-a-winner">also participated</a> in a range of sports including trampoline and swimming before specialising in cycling at 14. In 2013, a <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22974248">retrospective analysis</a> of 1,006 athletes in the UK found that those who competed in three or more sports at age 11 were significantly more likely to compete at national level when they are 18 than those who only competed in one sport.</p>
<p>There are lots of different ways for children to get involved in different sports. This can be as simple as parents providing opportunities for play in the back garden or at a local park, or finding out about classes taught by specialist coaches at their nearest sports centre. As children start the new school year it is important teachers make sure that children are experiencing a varied and substantial physical education curriculum. The route to both Olympic medals (in most sports) and lifelong participation begins by experimenting, tasting, and playing a wide range of sporting activities.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/64513/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Why children shouldn’t specialise in one sport too early.James Rudd, Senior lecturer in Physical Education, Liverpool John Moores UniversityColum Cronin, Senior lecturer, Liverpool John Moores UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/636072016-08-23T13:15:36Z2016-08-23T13:15:36ZHow you can help your child enjoy sport (and win gold medals)<p>In the aftermath of Rio 2016, children all across the world will be turning to their parents, saying that they want to be the next Simone Biles, Michael Phelps, or Usain Bolt. Billions of youngsters already participate in competitive sport, and it is well known that global events like the Olympics encourage many into <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/keep-the-flame-alive/9508496/Keep-The-Flame-Alive-Olympics-inspires-children-to-be-more-active.html">picking up a new activity</a>. </p>
<p>There are numerous physical, psychological, and social benefits associated with sport participation for children, as well as, for a very small number, being the first step to becoming an elite athlete. Through the provision of “appropriate” support – that is positive, encouraging feedback, as well as the usual financial and time input – <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/2159676X.2015.1134633">parents play a critical role</a> in enabling these outcomes. </p>
<p>It’s really not easy to support a child in competitive sport, and many may struggle to manage their own emotions as well as their child’s. Parents watch their children succeed and fail as they compete. They watch them struggle with skills they completed easily in training and execute tasks they’ve never managed before. They see the smiles of joy and satisfaction, and watch as they fight back tears of disappointment. They look on through half-open eyes as a bigger kid makes a dangerous tackle or a referee misses an important call. And they see it all knowing that, whatever the outcome, they have to think of the “right” thing to say after the competition. </p>
<p>Emotions arise not simply because parents have dreams of their child gaining a multi-million pound contract or standing on an awards podium, but because their child is disappointed and there’s nothing they can do to help. There is the frustration over the weeks, months or even years, of constant rushing from work to get children to training sessions and competitions, and guilt associated with missing time with other children, partners, or friends. Worrying too is common, as parents consider whether encouraging a child to take part in competitive sport is the right thing to do. Then there’s concern over financial commitments, and the fact that this can only escalate with further participation. </p>
<h2>Being positive not pushy</h2>
<p>So how can parents and carers provide the very best support for their children’s sporting endeavours? How can they make sure that they are not only happy and healthy but encouraged in a positive manner too? </p>
<p>Often, parents are stereotypically earmarked as “pushy”, but one does not <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/sep/12/are-pushy-parents-putting-children-off-sport">need to be this way</a> in order to help a child achieve their sporting potential – and indeed, many parents are not. </p>
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<p>Kids need appropriate parental support to initially engage with their choice of sport, and to keep it up long-term. By providing the right types of support – such as positive feedback, even where the child is disappointed in their own performance – parents can help to enhance their <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3661888/">children’s love of their sport and motivation</a> to improve their skills, while reducing feelings of pressure and stress. But if parents get it “wrong”, for example criticising an already disappointed youngster, they can instead increase the <a href="http://believeperform.com/coaching/the-influence-of-parents-in-youth-sport/">pressure, stress, and anxiety</a> that children experience – all of which have been associated with dropping out. </p>
<p>Given the influence that parents can have on the quality of children’s sporting experiences – paired with the increasing media reports of <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/11542148/Four-in-10-children-put-off-sport-by-competitive-parents.html">“negative” parental behaviours</a> at youth sport competitions – it is not surprising that many organisations and coaches have taken steps to try and <a href="http://www.appliedsportpsych.org/resource-center/resources-for-parents/dos-and-donts-for-parents-of-young-athletes/">improve parental involvement in sport</a>. A quick scan of social media highlights numerous articles, infographics, and signs reminding parents of what they <a href="http://www.thefa.com/respectguide/">should and should not be doing</a> to support their children’s sporting involvement and, most importantly, how they should be behaving at competitions. </p>
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<p>Such signs, leaflets, and articles often present simple messages for parents: remember that you are not being judged by your child’s success; the “athletes” you are watching are just kids, and kids will make mistakes; the focus of sport should be on fun, and winning is not the most important thing; and always respect referees, coaches, other parents, and other children, all of whom are human and are trying their best. </p>
<p>These messages make sense: they align with how children would like to see their parents engaging, and ultimately seem pretty simple for parents to understand and adhere to. But is it really that straightforward? </p>
<h2>Competitive culture</h2>
<p>It’s very easy to get caught up in the competitiveness of any sport, not least when you have a strong emotional bond with one of the players. Parenting children involved in youth sport is challenging and complicated. Over the last few decades, youth sport has become increasingly professionalised and privatised; children are competing at younger ages, specialising earlier, and parents are often required to commit <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-36956367">more time and more money</a> to support their participation. It’s an environment that has become increasingly pressurised and competitions can be hugely emotional. </p>
<p>But despite all this, appreciating the challenges and the complexity of the task ahead can “improve” parental involvement in sport and help ensure that children have the most positive and successful sporting experiences. <a href="http://www.open.edu/openlearn/health-sports-psychology/pushy-or-laid-back-the-challenge-being-sporting-parent">Parents have to tread a fine line</a> as they support their children and this will be made far easier if those around them - be they coaches, organisations, or even other parents - understand, acknowledge, and help them manage the demands they are facing.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/63607/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Camilla Knight has received funding from Sport Wales and the International Olympic Committee. She is affiliated with the Welsh Institute of Performance Science and the Child Protection in Sport Unit.</span></em></p>Child sport success relies on having a positive parental influence.Camilla Knight, Senior Lecturer in Sports Science, Swansea UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/634842016-08-19T13:52:35Z2016-08-19T13:52:35ZHow bigotry crushed the dreams of an all-black Little League team<p>The civil rights movement is often told in terms of court decisions, bus boycotts, lunch counter sit-ins, freedom riders, brutal beatings and racist demagogues. It’s rarely told from the point of view of children, who suffered in ways that left physical and emotional scars. </p>
<p>As <a href="http://www.pennlive.com/little-league-world-series/2015/08/little_league_world_series_att_4.html">hundreds of thousands of spectators</a> convene in Williamsport, Pennsylvania to watch the Little League World Series – and millions watch the games <a href="http://www.espn.com/moresports/story/_/page/LittleLeagueWorldSeries/little-league-world-series-espn">on ESPN</a> – few will know the story of the Cannon Street YMCA All-Stars, an all-black team that was denied the chance to compete.</p>
<p>When I was a journalism professor at the College of Charleston, I first learned about this story – how the presence of a single black all-star team was enough to cause one of the biggest crises in Little League history. The white teams in South Carolina <a href="http://www.si.com/vault/1995/10/30/8098327/little-leagues-civil-war-in-55-a-black-allstar-team-was-sidelined-by-a-racial-boycott-in-south-carolina">refused to play against them</a>. Hundreds of Southern white teams left Little League Baseball in protest and joined a <a href="http://www.si.com/vault/1995/10/30/8098327/little-leagues-civil-war-in-55-a-black-allstar-team-was-sidelined-by-a-racial-boycott-in-south-carolina">segregated youth baseball organization</a>, Little Boys Baseball, Inc., which became <a href="http://www.espn.com/espn/wire?id=2126814">Dixie Youth Baseball</a>.</p>
<p>More than 60 years later, to many former Cannon Street players, the lost opportunity still stings.</p>
<h2>A four-team black league is born</h2>
<p>In 1953, Robert Morrison, president of the Cannon Street YMCA, <a href="https://ussporthistory.com/2014/09/01/baseball-dreams-deferred-the-story-of-the-cannon-street-y-m-c-a-all-stars-part-two/">petitioned Little League Baseball</a> to create a league for black teams, and Little League Baseball granted the charter. A year later, dozens of 11- and 12-year-old boys were selected for the four-team league.</p>
<p>They played on a field of grass and gravel at Harmon Field in Charleston, a city with a long history of racial strife. In 1861, the Civil War began in Charleston harbor, where <a href="http://ldhi.library.cofc.edu/exhibits/show/africanpassageslowcountryadapt/sectionii_introduction/africans_in_carolina">hundreds of thousands of slaves</a> had been brought to the United States from the 1600s to the 1800s. The field also wasn’t far from <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/06/18/for-charlestons-emanuel-a-m-e-church-one-of-the-oldest-in-america-shooting-is-another-painful-chapter-in-long-history/">Emanuel AME church</a>, where nine blacks were murdered during a prayer meeting in 2015. </p>
<p>At some point in the season, the best players were selected for the league’s <a href="http://1955cannonstreetallstars.weebly.com/our-story.html">all-star team</a>. Cannon Street YMCA officials then registered the all-star team for the Charleston city tournament, which included the all-star teams for the all-white leagues in the city.</p>
<p>The team’s coaches told the players that they would keep playing as long as they kept winning – all the way to the Little League World Series, which is held every year in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. They had no reason to think otherwise: The coaches knew that the Little League Baseball prohibited racial discrimination.</p>
<h2>Dixie fights back</h2>
<p>1954 was also the year that the Supreme Court ruled that segregation in schools was unconstitutional in <a href="http://www.pbs.org/wnet/supremecourt/rights/landmark_brown.html">Brown v. Board of Education</a>, which forever changed the dynamic of racial discrimination in the United States. </p>
<p>No state resisted integration more than South Carolina, and no politician fought harder against racial equality than the state’s junior U.S. senator, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/27/us/strom-thurmond-foe-of-integration-dies-at-100.html?pagewanted=all">Strom Thurmond</a>, who, while governor, ran for president as a segregationist Dixiecrat in 1948. </p>
<p>So when the Cannon Street YMCA All-Stars registered for the city’s Little League tournament in July 1955, all the white teams withdrew. The Cannon Street team won by forfeit and advanced to the state tournament. </p>
<p>Danny Jones, the state’s director of Little League Baseball, petitioned the organization to create a segregated state tournament. Peter McGovern, executive director of Little League Baseball, refused Jones’ request because Little League Baseball prohibited racial segregation. He said that any team that refused to play the Cannon Street team would be banned from the organization. </p>
<p>Thurmond <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Ol-Strom-Unauthorized-Biography-Thurmond/dp/1570035148">let it be known</a> to Jones that an integrated tournament could not be permitted. In the end, Jones urged all the white teams to withdraw from the state tournament. He then resigned from Little League Baseball, created the Little Boys League, and wrote <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/store/10.1111/j.1540-5818.2013.12003.x/asset/jsch12003.pdf;jsessionid=D5593EB3804ABCCB6C6841C1DB52C778.f01t04?v=1&t=irxh8hld&s=72bc5a4257faaa62863d61fb23203f9ae8cd1de0">the league’s charter, which prohibited blacks</a>.</p>
<p>The Little Boys League – which was rebranded as Dixie League Baseball – soon replaced Little League in other southern states; within six years, there would be 390 such leagues spanning most of the former Confederacy. It would be decades before Little League Baseball returned to South Carolina; last year, the Northwood team of Taylors, South Carolina, <a href="http://www.wyff4.com/sports/little-league-team-from-taylors-is-one-win-away-from-williamsport/34659468">became the first team</a> from the state to play in the Little League World Series since 1950.</p>
<p>Having won the South Carolina tournament by forfeit, the Cannon Street YMCA All-Stars prepared for the regional tournament in Rome, Georgia, where the state’s governor, Marvin Griffin, objected to an integrated tournament. If youth baseball could be integrated, so, too, could schools, swimming pools and municipal parks, he said. </p>
<p>“One break in the dike,” <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/store/10.1111/j.1540-5818.2013.12003.x/asset/jsch12003.pdf;jsessionid=D5593EB3804ABCCB6C6841C1DB52C778.f01t04?v=1&t=irxh8hld&s=72bc5a4257faaa62863d61fb23203f9ae8cd1de0">Griffin said</a>, “and the relentless sea will rush in and destroy us.” </p>
<h2>Let them play!</h2>
<p>At the time, Little League rules said that teams could only advance by playing and winning, so the Cannon Street’s state championship was ruled invalid because it had come by forfeit. </p>
<p>Despite the unfair circumstances, Little League executive director Peter McGovern <a href="http://1955cannonstreetallstars.weebly.com/our-story.html">decided against making an exception</a> for the Cannon Street YMCA All-Stars. </p>
<p>He did, however, <a href="http://1955cannonstreetallstars.weebly.com/our-story.html">invite the team</a> to be the guests of Little League Baseball at the World Series. They arrived by bus the night before the championship game on August 26, 1955, which was between teams from Morrisville, Pennsylvania, and Merchantville, New Jersey, an integrated team. </p>
<p>The Cannon Street YMCA All-Stars and their coaches were introduced before the game, and the players remember hearing <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/cannon-street-all-stars-reminding-america-how-far-weve-come/2012/01/10/gIQA6rlwrP_story.html?utm_term=.70228bee1a28">a loud voice</a> from the bleachers.</p>
<p>“Let them play!” it boomed.</p>
<p>Others in the crowd <a href="onlinelibrary.wiley.com/store/10.1111/j.1540-5818.2013.12003.x/asset/jsch12003.pdf;jsessionid=D5593EB3804ABCCB6C6841C1DB52C778.f01t04?v=1&t=irxh8hld&s=72bc5a4257faaa62863d61fb23203f9ae8cd1de0">joined in</a>. </p>
<p><em>Let them play! Let them play!</em></p>
<p>John Rivers, who played second base for the team, told me he can still “hear it now.” </p>
<p>After being introduced to the crowd, the Cannon Street All-Stars returned to their seats and watched other boys live out their dreams. <a href="https://scontent.fphl1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/306446_382598258479266_1270751551_n.jpg?oh=7301a0b882e2b34892bda471d3344066&oe=584E8536">A photograph</a> from the day reveals the disappointment on their faces. </p>
<p>On the following day – August 28, 1955 – the team got back on its bus to return to Charleston. It was the same day that <a href="http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-death-of-emmett-till">Emmett Till</a>, not much older than the players on the team, was brutally murdered in Money, Mississippi, for reportedly whistling at a white woman. </p>
<p>The boys and girls who play in this year’s tournament will forever remember the experience. The surviving members of the Cannon Street All-Stars, who are in their mid-70s, never forgot what they were denied.</p>
<p>Rivers, who went on to become a successful architect, says this lesson is no less relevant today.</p>
<p>“It’s part of American history,” he said. “It’s part of the civil rights movement. You strip away the baseball and it’s about the 1950s movement.”</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/63484/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Chris Lamb does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Charleston’s Cannon Street YMCA All-Stars thought they’d have a chance to compete for a spot in the coveted Little League World Series. But South Carolina’s Little League director had other ideas.Chris Lamb, Professor of Journalism, IUPUILicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/588702016-05-08T20:05:06Z2016-05-08T20:05:06ZIntegrity in sport needs to grow from the grassroots level<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/121461/original/image-20160506-5708-rsag58.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Integrity in sport should start from the bottom up.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-1633145p1.html">Shutterstock/Paolo Bona</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The sporting world was shocked by yet another scandal last week when the Parramatta Eels were found guilty of what National Rugby League CEO <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/video/video-sport/video-rugby-league/parramatta-eels-deliberate-system-of-cheating-20160503-4eeft.html">Todd Greenberg called</a> “a deliberate, coordinated and sustained system of salary cap cheating”. </p>
<p>This sort of behaviour doesn’t just affect the major league team. It can have consequences at all levels of the game.</p>
<p>This means global and national attempts to improve governance and safeguard sport from corruption need to have community sport reach if they are to be effective.</p>
<p>The International Centre for Sport Security announced in April this year the creation of a 50+ nation Sport Integrity Global Alliance (<a href="http://www.theicss.org/en/news/read/new-sport-integrity-global-alliance-siga-launched">SIGA</a>) to drive reform in sport. </p>
<p>The tipping point for reform was likely the <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-32897066">FIFA scandal</a> that has rocked the soccer world since 2015 with claims of widespread corruption. SIGA is a neutral coalition of international stakeholders across the government and private sector seeking to promote good governance and financial transparency in sport.</p>
<p>In Australia, there have been widespread changes to rebuild sport integrity and public trust. Much of this follows the <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/national/this-is-the-blackest-day-in-australian-sport-20130207-2e1i3.html">crisis in Australian sport</a> in 2013, which included the Australian Crime Commission report into organised crime in sport and the AFL supplements scandal. </p>
<p>In addition to expanded policing powers, the Australian government has established a <a href="http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/content/national-integrity-of-sport-unit">National Integrity in Sport Unit</a>. The peak body Exercise & Sports Science Australia (<a href="https://www.essa.org.au/">ESSA</a>) has developed a sport science accreditation scheme.</p>
<p>Professional sport organisations are increasingly employing integrity officers and the market is filling with sport integrity-related courses, workshops and seminars.</p>
<p>There is no doubt that substantial international and national efforts will be required to re-establish the credibility of sport. That’s a theme that will feature prominently at today’s <a href="http://www.vucentenary.com.au/events/integrity-sport-forum-2016">Integrity in Sport Forum: In Governance We Trust</a> in Melbourne, sponsored by Victoria University and Sport Australia Hall of Fame.</p>
<p>The Forum will bring together more than 200 of Australia’s elite and community sport governance and integrity officials, as well as business and community leaders. The aim is to discuss ways forward to meet a range of sport integrity challenges. </p>
<h2>From the bottom up</h2>
<p>While there is a need for these coordinated efforts to target doping, match fixing, financial corruption and other threats to sport integrity, more support is needed at the local sport level.</p>
<p>Research presented at a sport stakeholders forum in July last year suggested that local communities <a href="https://www.vu.edu.au/contact-us/dennis-hemphill">may be unaware</a> of the extent to which performance enhancing substances and methods, illicit drugs and illegal gambling markets have filtered down to the community sport level.</p>
<p>Managers, coaches and players who might be aware of them are willing to do something about it. But they may not be aware of who to contact for more information or how to report suspect behaviours. </p>
<p>In a sport sector managed largely by volunteers, there may simply be insufficient time to implement procedures to prevent and police these dubious behaviours and practices.</p>
<h2>From the top down</h2>
<p>Moreover, the high-performance ethos, which may be appropriate at the elite sport level, has gradually filtered down to community sport level. </p>
<p>With that has come some of the threats to sporting integrity. It is not uncommon to see increasing training loads and the use of supplements or other means to improve performance or manage pain and injuries. Player and umpire abuse by overzealous coaches and fans is another symptom.</p>
<p>At the same time, the rise of sport betting, even at junior sport levels, increases the risk of cheating to lose.</p>
<p>Sport integrity can be thought of as the consistent living up to declared standards and principles. These principles are different at elite, school and community sport levels.</p>
<p>It goes without saying that elite sport focuses on the value of performance excellence. </p>
<p>But the educational value of school sport is still thought to lie in skill acquisition, fitness and character building. The mission statements and mottoes of community sport organisations usually centre on participation, fun, doing your best and community building.</p>
<h2>Leadership from above</h2>
<p>One way forward is for the governing bodies of sport to provide the leadership and additional resources to help local sporting clubs “walk the talk”, that is, uphold the values and principles that are appropriate to community sport.</p>
<p>The Australian Sport Commission provides resources for <a href="http://www.ausport.gov.au/supporting/integrity_in_sport/integrity_partners_and_community_programsgood">sport integrity</a> and <a href="http://www.ausport.gov.au/supporting/governance/governance_principles">governance</a>, as does <a href="http://vicsport.com.au/good-governance-framework-toolkit-update-released/">VicSport</a> and the <a href="http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/content/national-integrity-of-sport-unit">National Integrity in Sport Unit</a>.</p>
<p>Victoria University is currently working with Sport and Recreation Victoria on a sport integrity readiness project. This aims to provide the state’s sporting associations and eventually community clubs with a handy self-assessment tool to improve awareness and management of sport integrity risks.</p>
<p>There is no reason why such tools could not be adopted by other Australian states and territories, or even clubs and associations overseas.</p>
<p>More is still needed to improve the uptake of these resources and their effective use by local communities to safeguard sport for the future.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/58870/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dennis Hemphill, as part of a Victoria University research team, has received funding from the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services to conduct an analysis of, and develop resources for sport integrity awareness and management capability in community sport. </span></em></p>Efforts to wipe out doping, match fixing, corruption and other threats to sport integrity need to start at the local level.Dennis Hemphill, Associate Professor of Sport Ethics, Victoria UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.