There are many injuries associated with sports but some of the most notable are those associated with playing football. Football is not considered to be a dangerous sport, but it is important to realize that playing to the level that professional athletes do, can bring risks with it. These risks can range from acute injuries to chronic ones that can effect a player over the course of their life even after retiring. Concussions are especially something to worry about, with repetitive blows to the body and impacts to the head, players can experience a temporary loss of balance, coordination, and memory. It is the chronic effects, however, that are more troublesome which include neurodegenerative diseases such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy which can cause dementia and life threatening conditions such as respiratory and heart failure (Zuckerman et al., 2018).
This being said, Sunday night football remains to be one of the most popular pastimes for millions of Americans. Although physicians are aware of the dangers associated with contact sports, there is little research done on the topic to understand the full scope of what can happen to someone who decides to pursue a career in football. This brings us to the ethical dilemma of were we should be as a society to when comes to bringing awareness that there are dangers associated with this sport (Stapleton, Hankes, Hays, & Parham, 2010). I believe we should try to educate the youth who play football so that they have a better understanding of what can happen. More importantly, we cannot turn a blind eye to these risks just because watching these sports is enjoyed by millions.
Zuckerman, S. L., Brett, B. L., Jeckell, A., Yengo-Kahn, A. M., & Solomon, G. S. (2018). Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy and Neurodegeneration in Contact Sports and American Football. Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD, 66(1), 37–55. https://doi.org/10.3233/JAD-180218
Stapleton, A. B., Hankes, D. M., Hays, K. F., & Parham, W. D. (2010). Ethical dilemmas in sport psychology: A dialogue on the unique aspects impacting practice. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 41(2), 143–152. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0017976
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