It will not be news to anyone reading this that sporting activities can be dangerous. Even the most benign of pursuits, whether a gentle run or a friendly game of five-a-side, can present some key risks to those undertaking them – from strains and sprains to trips, falls and more serious encounters.
The more serious a sport gets, the more serious the injuries get. With contact sports like rugby, this is self-evident; scrums and tackles are direct and violent events, with profound consequences when handled incorrectly. Even ostensible non-contact sports like football present serious long-term risks – chief amongst which, across the board, is undoubtedly the risk of brain injury.
Understanding Brain Injuries in Sports
Brain injuries take a wide variety of forms, but in sports there are some particularly common types – typically associated with the risks of blunt force trauma associated with contact sports. Concussions are a serious concern in contact sports, and represent risks all of their own; however, in recent decades it has become clear that the true long-term risk to sports folk is that of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (or CTE, for short).
CTE injuries are the result of repeated blows to the head, and present as consistent degeneration of brain tissue – resulting in the loss of faculties and ultimately leading to dementia. This neurodegenerative disorder has been linked to numerous sports, and in some cases via some bombshell reporting.
Recent Developments in the UK
CTE and other such chronic injuries were usually pinned solely to boxing and other forms of direct contact sport, but in recent decades discoveries have been made about the risk of CTE in less-dangerous sports – football included. Courts are still hearing testimony over the prevalence of CTE amongst footballers, with the disease linked to the cumulative effects of receiving footballs to the head.
In response to growing public outcry, sporting bodies have begun to legislate in favour of protecting players from such risk; the FA are phasing out ‘headers’ as a legal move in grassroots youth football games, a move which could lead to a more widespread far-reaching ban for pro players.
Legal Considerations and Support
The action taken by sporting bodies like the FA is still viewed by many as too little, too late – particularly with reporting that indicates many such bodies were privately aware of the risks associated with their respective sports, and chose instead to bury supporting evidence.
With this in mind, there are many victims of brain injury in sports that have grounds for brain injury claims against the bodies governing their sporting activity, with compensation a possibility for those prevented from making choices with their own health in mind.
Preventative Measures and Safety Protocols
Though measures are being taken to reduce head injuries for players of the future, habits and practices remain in place for players of the present that put them in harm’s way. There are many individual measures sportspeople can take to protect themselves, including the wearing of protective headgear and the advocation of new rule-sets for local clubs.