Young athletes often dream of hitting the big time in their sport of choice, but it’s become quite clear that most professional athletes have to go through the wringer of collegiate sports before they can go national. Fortunately for those engaged in college football, it is possible to attain national popularity before even getting into the NFL. Just look at Tim Tebow as an example. Unfortunately, this great advantage comes with the potential to suffer serious injuries, and it seems that more and more, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the governing body of collegiate sports, is turning a blind eye to these injuries.
Injuries in the NCAA
The types of injuries that players can sustain while playing NCAA sports is mind-boggling. Unfortunately, a full 30 percent of these injuries are caused by overuse, yet the NCAA doesn’t do much to ensure that athletes aren’t being pushed too hard. This is even a problem in non-contact sports. In fact, a full 55 percent of all sports injuries are to the knee, and many are simply caused by running too much.
Shoulder injuries, ankle sprains, lower back pain and pulled muscles are also very common within the NCAA. What’s excessively sad is the fact that the NCAA earned $871.6 million between 2011 and 2012 off of these students’ backs, yet they’re falling down on the job when it comes to ensuring that the young individuals have a future of their own. Sadly, this is especially the case when it comes to concussions.
The Seriousness of Concussions
Until 2012, the NCAA actually had zero protocol related to concussions. Sadly, the biggest move that they’ve made since then is providing a fact sheet to coaches related to concussions. This does little to alert students of the potential dangers, and it does even less to ensure players are taken off of the field after a potential concussion. When looking at the facts related to these injuries, though, it becomes quite obvious why more needs to be done.
The danger related to concussions isn’t traditionally caused by a single concussion. Multiple concussions, though, can lead to long-term problems. These problems can include depression, memory loss, senility, chronic brain injury, posttraumatic stress disorder and a variety of other serious issues. It is actually believed that Chris Benoit, the wrestler who killed his family before committing suicide, was a victim of multiple concussions. Sadly, even two concussions in a short period of time, known as second-impact syndrome, can lead to death.
Staying Safe on the Field
Those who suffer serious concussive injuries do have the option of suing the NCAA for the damages they experienced. When doing this, it’s imperative to have an attorney who can help prove that the injury was sports related and that the organization was negligent. The NCAA concussion injury lawyer, Doyle Raizner firm advises that, in all cases “The NCAA has an obligation to safety and to protect student-athletes.” Retaining an attorney is important. This, in fact, is currently happening with nearly 20 cases going through the courts.
There’s no arguing, though, that avoiding the permanent injury in the first place is preferable. Fortunately, these tips can help:
- Rest after sustaining a concussion.
- Know how to recognize potential concussions: dizziness, nausea, loss of balance, headache and vision problems.
- Ask for medical attention from the team physician.
- Quit if necessary. Once concussions start piling on, the damage can prove irreversible.
The NCAA is supposed to be focused on keeping players safe, but over the years, it appears as if their only concern has been making money while simultaneously preventing students from doing the same. No one is arguing, at least in this article, that college athletes should be reimbursed like their NFL counterparts, but it would be helpful if the organization that’s meant to protect students would actually do so.
Lisa Coleman shares the legal issues that can arise when it comes to sport injuries with a governing body. She recently researched the NCAA concussion injury lawyer, Doyle Raizner LLP website to help her obtain some of the information for this piece.
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