Does my teen need to quit sports after three concussions?

[Anonymous]

My boys have both had one concussion when they were young - around 5. Both were from play - one fell at a playground and hit his head hard on the ground, the other fell on concrete tripping over a ball.

Concussions are scary because they are hard to diagnose (if a CT scan doesn't show traumatic brain injury, there's no way to say if there is the "milder" concussion - doctors use symptoms instead). And there isn't any way to "fix it" besides rest and trying to not re-injure.

Both of my boys are athletes on team sports, but I'm a no on football and rugby. There is certainly still a chance of concussion in baseball, flag football, soccer, basketball, but I feel it's closer to the same percentage of chance as just living life. My kids are always going to be active and that's healthy too - I'm not going to encourage them to be sedentary to avoid a chance of concussion.

But as a PP said, with sports like football and rugby, it's more than just the dramatic concussion. It's the constant jarring and impact of collision over and over. Helmets don't help that. They say it's like being in multiple car accidents every game. Even major NFL stars have come out to say no tackle football before age 14.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where’s OP? Without knowing the timing of these three concussions, it’s just speculation.

3 concussions starting from age 5, and 2 more 5 yrs apart (not op just going off the last page)

Op here. No, three total. One at 5 when a soccer ball was kicked into their head, one at 9 or 10, and one recently. The one at nine involved colliding into another kid.

it doesn’t matter how he got them, three adds up. Time to find something different.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My boys have both had one concussion when they were young - around 5. Both were from play - one fell at a playground and hit his head hard on the ground, the other fell on concrete tripping over a ball.

Concussions are scary because they are hard to diagnose (if a CT scan doesn't show traumatic brain injury, there's no way to say if there is the "milder" concussion - doctors use symptoms instead). And there isn't any way to "fix it" besides rest and trying to not re-injure.

Both of my boys are athletes on team sports, but I'm a no on football and rugby. There is certainly still a chance of concussion in baseball, flag football, soccer, basketball, but I feel it's closer to the same percentage of chance as just living life. My kids are always going to be active and that's healthy too - I'm not going to encourage them to be sedentary to avoid a chance of concussion.

But as a PP said, with sports like football and rugby, it's more than just the dramatic concussion. It's the constant jarring and impact of collision over and over. Helmets don't help that. They say it's like being in multiple car accidents every game. Even major NFL stars have come out to say no tackle football before age 14.

Soccer is actually quite risky because of heading the ball. I’d rank it pretty high as a no. Same with hockey.

[Anonymous]

Look up counterstrain. There are some providers close to DC. It is a new technique where they can help people make more of a full recovery from concussion.

[Anonymous]

The risk of injuries is why I encouraged my child to take up music (orchestra) instead of sports. My friends with sports kids, the kids always ended up with some kind of injuries that took them out of school. Concussions, broken arms, hands, legs.

Statistically, None of these kids will be good enough for or even want to play in a pro league as an adult, so I didn’t feel like the risk of serious injury (especially brain injury) and missing school was worth it for what’s essentially just a fun hobby for a few years. I wanted my kid’s brain to be as preserved as possible.

It has worked out well for us. Kid will be graduating next year, and I have suggested he try golf as a safe and fun sport to socialize, as he enters adulthood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes. Well, I mean track & field or swimming would be great.

You can bang your head swimming colliding with a swimmer coming the other way or miscounting your backstroke strokes into the wall.

You do not know anything about swimming!! No swimmers are not getting concussions.

Um, I was an international swimming representative. And you?

NP. I swam all my life and all of my kids swim year round. Swimming is one of the lowest risk sports for concussions. Yes sometimes little kids bump heads in the water in practice. That is nowhere near as risky as a football game or any other contact sport.

Look at data on this. It is very clear.

[Anonymous]

Brain swelling 3 times. Do you really need to ask?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Brain swelling 3 times. Do you really need to ask?

+1 I'm shocked this is even a question.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My boys have both had one concussion when they were young - around 5. Both were from play - one fell at a playground and hit his head hard on the ground, the other fell on concrete tripping over a ball.

Concussions are scary because they are hard to diagnose (if a CT scan doesn't show traumatic brain injury, there's no way to say if there is the "milder" concussion - doctors use symptoms instead). And there isn't any way to "fix it" besides rest and trying to not re-injure.

Both of my boys are athletes on team sports, but I'm a no on football and rugby. There is certainly still a chance of concussion in baseball, flag football, soccer, basketball, but I feel it's closer to the same percentage of chance as just living life. My kids are always going to be active and that's healthy too - I'm not going to encourage them to be sedentary to avoid a chance of concussion.

But as a PP said, with sports like football and rugby, it's more than just the dramatic concussion. It's the constant jarring and impact of collision over and over. Helmets don't help that. They say it's like being in multiple car accidents every game. Even major NFL stars have come out to say no tackle football before age 14.

Soccer is actually quite risky because of heading the ball. I’d rank it pretty high as a no. Same with hockey.

Soccer is definitely risky for concussions. DH played for 15 years, and definitely had a few concussions and another serious injury.

Quick search online showed:

A 2019 study of U.S. high school athletes published in Pediatrics found that soccer had the highest concussion rate among girls' teams and the fifth highest among boys' teams.

Soccer is a sport not traditionally identified as high risk for concussions, yet several studies have shown that concussion rates in soccer are comparable to, and often exceed those of, other contact sports. As many as 22% of all soccer injuries are concussions.

[Anonymous]

I think OP has to be one of the worst parents, the most ill informed and ignorant people ever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The risk of injuries is why I encouraged my child to take up music (orchestra) instead of sports. My friends with sports kids, the kids always ended up with some kind of injuries that took them out of school. Concussions, broken arms, hands, legs.

Statistically, None of these kids will be good enough for or even want to play in a pro league as an adult, so I didn’t feel like the risk of serious injury (especially brain injury) and missing school was worth it for what’s essentially just a fun hobby for a few years. I wanted my kid’s brain to be as preserved as possible.

It has worked out well for us. Kid will be graduating next year, and I have suggested he try golf as a safe and fun sport to socialize, as he enters adulthood.

One of my kids does music as his main activity (including very competitive programs) but that doesn't give him exercise. He also participates in sports (but not one with a high concussion risk). There are a lot of sports where injury risk is lower.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Brain swelling 3 times. Do you really need to ask?

+1 I'm shocked this is even a question.

OP, have you had 3 concussions, because you brain is not working.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes. Well, I mean track & field or swimming would be great.

You can bang your head swimming colliding with a swimmer coming the other way or miscounting your backstroke strokes into the wall.

You do not know anything about swimming!! No swimmers are not getting concussions.

Um, I was an international swimming representative. And you?

NP. I swam all my life and all of my kids swim year round. Swimming is one of the lowest risk sports for concussions. Yes sometimes little kids bump heads in the water in practice. That is nowhere near as risky as a football game or any other contact sport.

Look at data on this. It is very clear.

Some of the riskiest situations are rec swimming lanes where you have bad adult swimmers who can't swim straight/circle swim or have 8 foot wide breaststroke kick which smashes another swimmer in the head. Then there are the macho guys with paddles who hit you in the hand or head.

When I was younger there were head injuries - things like kids fooling around on the pool deck and falling on someone in the pool, slipping on the deck because of running, breaststroke kick to the head/face of a following swimmer, tumble turning into an incoming swimmer, backstrokers going off course, relay swimmers hitting the bottom of the shallow end.

I get that it is not as bad as football, hockey or ultimate frisbee, but it is not riskless. USA Swimming has a concussion protocol for coaches.

Here's the data fyi. https://www.lifefloor.com/blog-publishing/aquatic-concussions-anecdotal-problem-or-widespread-issue#:~:text=The%20good%20news%2C%20though%2C%20is,awareness%20around%20concussions%20in%20swimming.

[Anonymous]

Switch to the country club sports — golf and tennis.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The risk of injuries is why I encouraged my child to take up music (orchestra) instead of sports. My friends with sports kids, the kids always ended up with some kind of injuries that took them out of school. Concussions, broken arms, hands, legs.

Statistically, None of these kids will be good enough for or even want to play in a pro league as an adult, so I didn’t feel like the risk of serious injury (especially brain injury) and missing school was worth it for what’s essentially just a fun hobby for a few years. I wanted my kid’s brain to be as preserved as possible.

It has worked out well for us. Kid will be graduating next year, and I have suggested he try golf as a safe and fun sport to socialize, as he enters adulthood.

Sounds entirely dreadful.