Brain conditions caused by contact sports have been an emerging topic of discussion in the media recently, especially after the release of the new movie on the topic, Concussion. It’s widely accepted that repeated blows to the head and resulting concussions can lead to significant brain diseases, such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), later in life. Logically, the response to these diseases is to decrease the number of impacts and reduce their intensity. This has led to the development of safer and sturdier headgear. However, according to a recent study by the University of New Hampshire, it turns out that athletes who practice without helmets might have more of an advantage than those wearing extra protective ones.
Parents frequently warn children to protect their heads with helmets; could there be a risk to that?
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According to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, “sports and recreational activities contribute to about 21% of all traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) among American children and adolescents,” and football is the sport with the second highest incidence of these head injuries. Most TBIs can be classified as concussions, which are results of head trauma. Repeated concussions increase athletes’ risk for more serious conditions such as CTE after a longer period of time. While helmets may seem like a solution to preventing CTE, they may encourage athletes to play more aggressively by encouraging less of a focus on proper tackling technique.
In a recent study, a University of New Hampshire football team agreed to participate in a program that would include one or two practices a week without helmets for one group and normal practices with helmets for the other. Instead of depending on helmets, coaches began implementing drills that would prevent impact in the first place through correct tackling technique. One group was wearing protective gear, the other wasn’t.
Rather than protecting the players, wearing helmets seemed to increase the risk of concussion. By the end of the season, the group without helmets had reduced head impacts by about 30% and were actually tackling more effectively. It turns out that the practices without helmets improved technique, compelling players to tackle without using their heads and thus, reducing their risk for concussion.
Of course, this is only one small study, so further research must be done. But it suggests that there may be a solution beyond giving up a sport that these devoted athletes can finally adopt. By focusing on learning proper tackling techniques and perhaps using standard helmets, football players may be able to further protect themselves against debilitating head trauma.
