The death of Dave Duerson, former Chicago Bear, New York Giant and Notre Dame alum, originally sounded like the tragic passing of a 50-year old man. Then came the news that Duerson took his own life by shooting himself in the chest in his Florida home. He had started to see the affects of football and apparently it hit him hard. Many former NFL players complain of absent mindedness, walking into a room and forgetting why – or not being able to put simple words together to form a sentence. This was true for Duerson too.
One of Duerson’s final actions was to text his family. What was so important just moments before he’d take his own life? He wanted to make sure that his family donated his brain to research. Duerson may have believed he was a victim of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy – a degenerative brain disease that’s been found in 20 retired players. The disease has been linked to depression and cognitive impairment – and sometimes suicide. Alan Schwarz of the New York Times has a great article on Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) - http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/23/sports/football/23duerson.html - and James Fegan of ChicagoNow discusses the renewed focus on concussions - http://chicagonow.com/KbU2
As the parent of an 8-year old boy – one who has played 2 seasons of football already – it’s a tough position to be in. I’m struggling with whether or not to allow my boy to play again. How would I feel if my son were going through these same symptoms? Would it be my fault for allowing him to play? Am I overreacting?
As coaches we watch very carefully. We monitor the kids to make sure they’re healthy and not suffering from injuries caused by football. But the mentality of football is – as evidenced most recently by the criticism of Jay Cutler – that you’re a tough guy, that you never quit and that you can play through pain. If you don’t think kids feel those same pressures, you’re not paying attention. The best athletes are always put on a pedestal – even for 8-year olds.
I also want to pass along something that has been bothering me. In January, CBS-2 Chicago’s Mike Parker, reported on former Bears QB Jim McMahon, and his battle with what’s believed to be TCE. Parker’s report centered on football - http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2011/01/13/mcmahon-on-concussion-dangers-you-think-nothing-can-bother-you/ - when in fact, the report he credits lists football as “one of” the more dangerous sports – in the top 3 with Girl’s Field Hockey and Basketball. Everyone wants to focus on football, but it’s not the only sport putting our youth in danger – just the most popular, I guess.
More Reading:
Boston University study on CTE - http://www.bu.edu/bostonia/web/concussions/
I’d love to know what you think … go to the COMMENTS section below and post your thoughts – and don’t forget to vote in the poll to the left.
2 comments:
I think, as with just about everything, a lot of responsibility for the health and well-being of the kid rests with the parent.
You can't just drop little Jimmy off at football practice and hope for the best (or basketball, ice hockey, or whatever). Parents need to do the due diligence, making sure the club is operated by a responsible organization, staffed by qualified coaches, equipped with proper safety and medical equipment, etc. (one that's often overlooked is coaching philosophy -- are the kids being taught to play the game safely, or win-at-all-costs recklessly?)
The clubs take on a certain level of responsibility for our kids when the kids show up to practice, sure. But ultimately it is up to us as parents to ensure their safety. If that means making the coaches cranky because the parents are constantly on their backs, well that's a sure sign to me that we've got a lousy coach on our hands.
So, for me at least, rather than forbid the tykes from playing altogether, just make sure they're playing in the right situation, for the right coach, with the right gear, in the right mindset.
Of course, this outlook is easy to have from my isolated little perch in the midst of suburbia. Things get loads more complicated when when all thing things I'm looking for in a club/team are unavailable due to socio-economic factors. So I am lightyears away from having all the answers, but for my family and from my perspective that's what I got.
Great points, Pete. But there still is no guarantee that finding the right club, the right coaches and the right mentality will prevent brain injuries.
I knew Dave Duerson, although I didn't know his condition. But I met Merrill Hoge at the height of his concussions with the Bears - and it wasn't pretty. The dude didn't know where he was or why he was at the radio station (he'd come in for an interview). I would hate to be responsible for my kid having brain damage.
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