N.F.L.’s Influence on Safety at Youth Levels Is Cited

washington — the voices belonged mostly to n.f.l. e nfl jerseys xecutives, n.f.l. doctors, n.f.l. players and united states congressmen. but as they clashed wednesday in a house judiciary committee hearing on football brain injuries and how the league and its players union have handled the issue, consensus emerged on one point: how the n.f.l. evolves from here will invariably influence safety at the youth football level.

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commissioner roger goodell agreed to create public-service announcements on concussions.

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more than 1.2 million teenagers play high school football every fall, and hundreds are seriously injured by concussions and other brain trauma. many of the injuries occur because the players are unaware of the seriousness of brain injuries, because trained medical personnel are too costly and because the culture of football up t top nfl jerseys hrough the n.f.l. demands that players play through pain.

recent laws in texas, washington and oregon have mandated better concussion training and medical services in youth sports. but several congressmen said during the hearing and in subsequent interviews that as the n.f.l. disputes outside findings of heightened rates of dementia and cognitive decline among league retirees — believed to derive from tackles and behavior the n.f.l. said it had outlawed in the name of safety — that youth players and coaches are misled about football’s health risks.

“walking off the pain in an n.f.l. game turns into walking it off in a little league game — the trickle-down effects on high school and college players are very real and can be fatal,” representative hank johnson, democrat of georgia, said in the hearing.

n.f.l. commissioner roger goodell was pressed to create public-service announcements to educate the public about the seriousness of concussions, and he agreed to do so.

goodell and doctors on the league’s concussion committee testified wednesday that the league had set the proper example. dr. joseph maroon, neurosurgeon for the pittsburgh steelers, said that n.f.l. practices “are exactly what should be passed on to the youth football,” and that younger players “need to have the same protective, preventive measures in place that are used for our professional athletes.”

maroon’s suggestion clashed with some consensus views on concussion management of youngsters, whose brains are not fully developed and require considerably more care and longer rest periods after injury. even published research by the n.f.l. concussion committee, before maroon became a member, reported that professional players recover more quickly than high school players. and as the n.f.l. has defended how it clears many players who sustain concussions to return to the same game, experts in the field consider that doing that with high school players could be fatal.

with respect to the relative absence of sideline medical personnel at youth games, maroon would find far more consensus. only 42 percent of high schools have access to certified athletic trainers, according to the national athleti nfl jerseys c trainers’ association, let alone the doctors and neurologists employed by n.f.l. teams.

about 400,000 concussions occurred in high school athletics during the 2008-9 school year — more in football than any other sport — according to researchers at nationwide children’s hospital in columbus, ohio, and ohio state university. those researchers reported that 15.8 percent of football players sustaining a concussion severe enough to cause loss of consciousness returned to play the same day, which is considered particularly perilous.

in a conversation after his testimony, goodell told chris nowinski, co-director of the sports legacy institute and a fellow witness, that he would consider helping that organization educate coaches and players nationwide about the risks of football brain trauma.

merril hoge, a former pittsburgh steelers running back whose career was cut short by postconcussion syndrome, told congress that as a current youth football coach he faces pushback on safety efforts from the most unlikely sources. hoge said that while removing a concussed player from the game, the boy’s 25-year-old brother, named jake, tried to change hoge’s mind.

“jake could very easily be a head coach in a youth program,” hoge said, “and he was willing to put his own brother back on the football field. purely out of ignorance. that’s why i think standards and education would help.”

several states have taken steps to require schools to train coaching and medical personnel in concussion management and to have emergency personnel at games. texas (will’s bill), oregon (max’s law) and washington (the lystedt law) all named their statutes after boys who were recently killed or seriously hurt by football brain injuries.

congressman bill pascrell, a new jersey democrat, has co-sponsored a bill that would provide $5 million for neuropsychological testing for all middle and high school athletes nationwide. the law is awaiting consideration in the energy and commerce subcommittee.

no congressmen during wednesday’s hearing nor in subsequent interviews said that, at least for now, they supported federal legislation regulating high school sports.

dick benson, after whose son will’s bill is named, testified on the need for more awareness and services in youth sports. during benson’s emotional testimony, pictures of will from baby swing to football field flashed on screens in the hearing room.

“don’t let it happen again — please,” benson said while breaking down, as the former giant tiki barber wrapped his arm around his shoulder.

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