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Dilan Patel

Professor McGriff

ENC 1102

16 November 2020

Should Youth Contact Sports Be Cancelled Due To Concussions?

The thrill of getting out of your parent’s cars, arriving at the fields for your football or

soccer game never leaves you. As a young kid, we always used to enjoy playing sports with our

friends. Then, we didn’t know how much we missed it until it was gone. This was childhood.

Playing whatever sport we wanted and having all the fun. Now imagine a life without those

sports. Imagine what your evenings would be like without those evening practices or weekend

games. That would leave a big hole in our childhood. All for what? Injuries, which help us build

ourselves to be stronger when we’re younger. We have no real reason to cancel youth contact

sports. Youth sports have a larger effect than we see, not only on the children but many people

outside of this. Youth sports have been proven to help children’s life skills like time

management. The big industry of youth sports has reached $15 million. Even, concussions are

becoming more likely and treatable than we recently thought. The United States is considered

one of if not the most obese country in the world, and taking away youth sports would only

increase this number for the country. All the facts point to an increase in youth sports, not a

decrease. If we take away youth sports then we aren’t only affecting the kids, but the parents and

coaches involved in the sport. We are stripping away a piece of these kid’s childhoods.
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Mental health is something that many kids should develop from a young age. It is

vital that we set our youths and future generations on the right pathway before they reach a

tougher stage in their life. Studies have shown there is a direct correlation between kids who play

youth sports and their mental health in the future. According to Herren Wellness, a survey was

taken to find a correlation between exercising and smoking cigarettes or marijuana abuse. Those

results were pretty astounding. Since 2007, kids who exercise daily, only 10 percent smoke, and

15 percent have marijuana abuse. Now for kids who don’t exercise at all, 20 percent smoke and

25 percent have marijuana abuse. These results show a 10 percent decrease in both smoking and

marijuana abuse as a result of exercise(“The Importance of Youth Sports Participation”). Now

how does this correlate? The survey also shows that students who tend to exercise more

frequently tend to make better choices. These youths enjoy team activities and participate in

them, as a result leading them to make healthier decisions. These come as they are surrounded by

other people who make healthy decisions. This relates because as younger students, we want to

start off on the right foot, and youth sports helps us with this. Ohio University took a survey of

how sports affected mental health. Among all the surveyed youths, “73% say that it enhanced

their mental health”(“Benefits and Impact of Youth & Interscholastic Sports”). Ohio University

is showing how mental health is directly positively affected by the students surveyed. The

influence of a sports team on individuals leads them to make smarter choices in turn having a

healthier lifestyle. Studies have also shown that youth sports teams help younger children to

build necessary life management skills. Important life skills like time management and

self-confidence. At first, it may not seem as though youth sports help children display these

skills, but they secretly do. According to Matthew Edward Simco in a piece for Penn State, he
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states that “Children involved in sports usually have three main responsibilities; school, sports,

and family (chores). If a child has good time management, they’ll know when they should study,

when they should practice sports, and when they should do chores”(Simco 1). This shows the

importance of youth sports because from a young age, kids can build that time management from

the simple task of just going to school to practice to home for homework and chores. Once kids

can master this, it becomes easier once life progresses for kids to manage their time as they have

done it from a young age. Mental health and time management have been proven to increase

while substance abuse has been proven to decrease with the help of youth sports.

One of the main reasons why youth sports are even getting talked about being

canceled is due to concussions. Parents may feel that concussions are something that could end a

sports season or even career and frankly that isn’t true. Concussions are still a bad injury within

sports but can sometimes be exaggerated. It has been medically proven that concussions are

becoming more and more common as time goes on. According to the University of Utah, from

2001 to 2009, “The number of ED visits related to concussions and TBIs rose 57 percent in

children” (Office of Public Affairs 1). This is evidence showing how concussions are becoming

more common. This is a substantial number from a decade ago. If these numbers were reported

in 2009, imagine how much more common concussions are becoming in our world today. This

doesn’t justify the concussion aspect to youth sports but it shows the concussions are common

within the sport and shouldn’t be feared. The misconception of concussions leads many parents

to fear them as if they are life-threatening. The symptoms of concussions are recoverable and

leave little to no lasting effect on the future. Beaumont health summarizes the recovery period

into two major phases. Beaumont says that for a concussion you go through the “acute phase”
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and “recovery phase”. The University of Utah also shows that you experience symptoms during

the acute phase like “headache, dizziness, and fatigue” (“What to Expect After a Concussion”)​.

The multip[le phases for concussion recovery shows how it is easier to recover from a

concussion with the proper treatment. All this is pretty standard for a common concussion. The

University of Utah also states “long-term effects of a concussion are rare” and “the vast majority

of people see any symptoms resolve within a few weeks” (​Office of Public Affairs 1)​. The

University of Utah is clearly saying that when it comes to concussions, you don’t typically see

any long-term effects on the patient. In our current day and age, we are seeing that concussions

are becoming more and more apparent within youth sports. Concussions are also becoming very

treatable with minimal recovery time. All this is just showing how concussions can become

blown out of proportion at times and over feared. We shouldn’t cancel youth sports over the

simple fact that our kids can get a common, treatable concussion. We would be ruining so much

more if we took away youth sports.

When you look around our world today, many big pro sports leagues have turned

into big-time businesses. The National Football League thrives off of TV revenue and fan

attendance. The National Basketball Association makes millions of dollars off of fans tuning in

to the game through various modems. These pro sports leagues have built a system to make

money and thrive in this environment. Similarly, the youth sports league industry has grown

immensely to where it has become a massive business for league owners. Almost every single

one of us has participated in a youth sports league if not multiple. Now imagine how many other

kids take part in the same sports league that we are talking about shutting down. The Sports &

Fitness Industry Association conducted a survey to see how many kids participated in youth
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sports. In 2018, over 70 percent of the children, ages 6 to 12, participated in a team or individual

sport of some kind. This is 70 percent of our youth participating in some form of a youth sports

league. Let’s take a look at the business aspect of this. The Times released an article showing the

costs of a typical youth sports league. “The U.S. youth-sports economy–which includes

everything from travel to private coaching to apps that organize leagues and live stream

games–is now a $15.3 billion market, according to WinterGreen Research” (Gregory 1). This is

showing that our current youth sports market is making money in a record creaking fashion. In

comparison, the National Football League, the most-watched pro sport in the United States,

made around $15 billion in 2018. This shows you how valuable the youth sports market is to not

only parents but to successful businessmen and league owners across the country. Within the

youth sports industry, there is not only an effect on the league owners but third party equipment

sellers. Parents and coaches have to get the equipment for the sport somehow. Third-party sellers

like Dick’s Sporting Goods or Academy Sport and Outdoor would lose a big chunk of their

business if these sports leagues were shut down. The business for youth sports is only going to

increase. With the growing economy and sport popularity, youth sports leagues are projected to

make more money. According to Research and Markets, “Youth Sports Market Projected to

Reach $77.6 Billion by 2026” (“Youth Sports Market Projected to Reach $77.6 Billion by 2026 -

Comprehensive Industry Analysis & Insights”). Essentially, we are looking at an increase of

almost 3-4 times as much as the current numbers. This is a marginal benefit for the youth sports

industry so why would we want to shut it down. It has already been proven to help businessmen

and league owners, and it is only projected to get better. From a business perspective, it wouldn’t
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make sense to shut down youth sports. This is a growing market with large increases in the gain

in many areas.

Growing up as kids, we were always taught to go outside and get some physical activity.

Why were we told this? Well, maybe because our parents wanted us to stay in shape or they

didn’t want us to become obese. Obesity has always been a problem in the United States.

Physical activity such as youth sports helps our young kids fight against obesity at a young age.

We are setting them off on the right foot if we start them young in youth sports. We are

preventing them from becoming obese by sending them to youth sports. Think about this for a

second, kids go to practice 2-4 times a week and have 1-2 games a week depending on the sport.

This is more than enough physical activity for these kids so they don’t fall prey to obesity at such

a young age. According to Business Insider, the United States is ranked number 1 of the “Top 10

Fattest Countries'', this correlated to almost 78 million people in the United States as fat or 33

percent of the general population. China came in second place with only 4.4 percent of the

population (Jacobs 1). The gap between the United States and China is unbelievable because it

amounts to about a 29 percent difference in obesity levels. In essence, the United States is

considered the most obese country in the world by a landslide. Now just imagine what was to

happen if we took away youth sports. This number could increase another 5+ percent with many

kids getting less physical activity. Youth sports and activities have been proven to help reduce

the obesity rate. The Aspen Project Institute Play “found afterschool physical activity programs

would reduce obesity the most, 1.8% among children ages 6 to 12” (“Benefits of Physical

Activity). Almost 2 percent is a big number among kids aged 6 to 12. Remembers this is also

only considering physical activity programs, which doesn’t include youth sports leagues and
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teams. The 1.8 percent decrease in obesity is twice the impact that any ban on fast food

advertising has had. This just goes to show how kids need physical activity in their lives so they

can stay away from obesity at a young age. How are we supposed to give kids this opportunity if

we take away these youth sports leagues? Youth sports teams are becoming increasingly more

effective in an all-around aspect for kids. Why take away something that is proven to be helpful?

We live in a country where obesity is prevalent all around us. While we haven’t done much to fix

that current problem, we can fix it for the future by starting our next generation off right.

When looking at youth sports and its safety protocol, there is always a downside.

We want to prevent youths from having fatal injuries and sometimes things don’t always go as

planned. Sometimes, concussions are uncontrollable and hard to avoid but in most cases, it all

comes down to what sport is being played. In an 11-year study done by MedStar Health, “Boys'

sports accounted for 53% of athlete-exposures and 75% of all concussions. Football accounted

for more than half of all concussions, and it had the highest incidence rate (0.60). Girls' soccer

had the most concussions among the girls' sports and the second-highest incidence rate of all 12

sports (0.35). Concussion rate increased 4.2-fold (95% confidence interval, 3.4-5.2) over the 11

years (15.5% annual increase). In similar boys' and girls' sports (baseball/softball, basketball, and

soccer), girls had roughly twice the concussion risk of boys. Concussion rate increased over time

in all 12 sports” (Which Youth Sports Cause the Most Concussions?”). From the study, it can

easily be seen how girls soccer and boys football pose the most threat to concussions. A simple

solution to reducing the concussion rate within these sports are waiting until a certain age before

allowing kids to play. The concussion rates are continuing to rise and without a solution that it

could become devastatingly horrible. Another important aspect of a concussion is the recovery
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period. More specifically how it has an effect on education and school for children. According to

Nationwide Children’s, there are 5 big steps in returning to school, “No school, half-day

attendance, full-day attendance with accommodations, full-day attendance without

accommodations, and full school and extracurricular activities” (An Educator's Guide to

Concussions in the Classroom”)​. This is showing the full recovery process for children that

sustain a concussion. Now, this is a lengthy period of time students can miss and in turn have a

larger effect on essentials like student grades, participation, and activities. For the better of the

student, it may be wiser to avoid the concussion and this could only be possible if youth sports

were to get shut down. The risk is just too high in many cases. After a concussion, there are

larger effects more than just the concussion. The school life of a student can take a major hit if a

concussion is sustained. This is all points to shut down youth sports to stop the domino effect.

All in all, youth sports have been proven to show positive effects in multiple areas. The

large effect that it has on the development of needed life skills for kids is growing as we speak.

One of the main arguments for canceling youth sports is due to concussions but concussions are

much more common than we think and have become very treatable. The youth sports industry

would take a big hit if these leagues were canceled. Many league owners and people in business

have made a living of this, and we are talking about shutting it down. We have even seen how

youth sports has proven to reduce the obesity rate in kids aged 6 to 12. As a person who partook

in youth sports, I would hate to not have this a part of my childhood. We grew up with youth

sports at the center of our lives. If we rip this away from our next generation, then what are we

saying to them. If we don’t give them the ability to grow up like we did then how is that fair.

Youth sports was a time when kids could shy away from school and just be themselves. A time
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when they can enjoy playing the sport that they love. We are taking away something that these

kids love for what? An injury that is a part of life. An injury that has proven to be more common

and treatable than we think. The future generation of children deserves the same childhood that

we grew up with. The same fun sports that we played. Taking away youth sports would wipe out

all the opportunities for young kids and the benefits that come with it.
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Work Cited

An Educator's Guide to Concussions in the Classroom. (n.d.). Retrieved December 03, 2020,

from

https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/specialties/concussion-clinic/concussion-toolkit/an-

educators-guide-to-concussions-in-the-classroom

Benefits and Impact of Youth & Interscholastic Sports​. 22 Jan. 2020,

onlinemasters.ohio.edu/blog/benefits-and-impact-of-youth-interscholastic-sports/.

“Concussions: How They Can Affect You Now and Later .” ​University of Utah Health​,

healthcare.utah.edu/healthfeed/postings/2016/11/concussion.php.

Edward, Matthew. “SiOWfa16: Science in Our World: Certainty and Controversy.”

SiOWfa16 Science in Our World Certainty and Controversy​, 20 Oct. 2016,

sites.psu.edu/siowfa16/2016/10/20/does-playing-sports-as-a-child-help-you-become-

successful-in-life/.

Gregory, Sean. “Kids' Sports Leagues Have Turned Into a $15 Billion Industry.” ​Time,​

Time, 24 Aug. 2017,

time.com/4913687/how-kids-sports-became-15-billion-industry/.

Home​. www.beaumont.org/conditions/what-to-expect.
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Jacobs, H. (2014, November 28). The 10 Fattest Countries In The World. Retrieved

December 02, 2020, from

https://www.businessinsider.com/the-10-fattest-countries-in-the-world-2014-11

Pfister, Ted, et al. ​The Incidence of Concussion in Youth Sports: a Systematic Review and

Meta-Analysis.​ 1 Mar. 2016, bjsm.bmj.com/content/50/5/292.

“The Importance of Youth Sports Participation.” ​Herren Wellness​, 26 May 2020,

herrenwellness.com/the-importance-of-youth-sports-participation/.

Which Youth Sports Cause the Most Concussions?

www.medstarsportsmedicine.org/research/which-youth-sports-cause-the-most-co

ncussions/.

Youth Sports Facts: Benefits. (n.d.). Retrieved December 02, 2020, from

https://www.aspenprojectplay.org/youth-sports-facts/benefits

“Youth Sports Facts: Participation Rates.” ​The Aspen Institute Project Play​,

www.aspenprojectplay.org/youth-sports-facts/participation-rates.

“Youth Sports Market Projected to Reach $77.6 Billion by 2026 - Comprehensive Industry

Analysis & Insights.” ​GlobeNewswire News Room,​ "GlobeNewswire", 26 Dec. 2019,

www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2019/12/26/1964575/0/en/Youth-Sports-Mar

ket-Projected-to-Reach-77-6-Billion-by-2026-Comprehensive-Industry-Analysis-Insi

ghts.html.
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