Research Proposal: How to Prevent Head Injuries in College Football Players

How to Prevent Head Injuries in College Football Players

Chapter I - Introduction

This research focuses on the topic of prevention of head injuries in football players at college level. The incidence of injuries in football appears to be the highest incidence in the knee, lower leg, head and hand. This draws attention to interaction between players as a frequent cause of injury. Football injuries can be prevented by developing a training program aimed at improving flexibility and strength, a specific program that includes concentric jumps and throws, as long as the player wears suitable footwear shall be counted with well prepared referees. Head injuries, including dental, eye and brain, constitute about 5% of soccer trauma. They explain that a closed-head injury is often the result of a collision between players. Concussion occurs when players try to head the ball and miss and collide with another player or the goal post. It is important to head the ball in an appropriate manner.

Statement of the Purpose

This research will focus on the mechanism to prevent head injuries among football students of college level, where head injuries comprise of the most dangerous injuries among others that tend to put the life of the players in great jeopardy.

Significance of the Study

This poses a serious threat to the player's career and personal life where they cannot pursue normal activities of life. All these consequences of head injuries clearly indicate that football players are at a higher risk of developing life-long disorders followed by the exposure they receive in the fields. While they cannot avoid the sports altogether, there should be some preventive measures to avoid head injuries among the players. Football is a very fashionable and enduring sport among college students. Athletes, in football, are taught to play through pain (The New York Times, 2010). However, concussions need to be taken seriously. Many of them are probably being overlooked at the high school level. These injured athletes are allowed to return to play before full recovery, leaving them susceptible to a more significant injury (Bryman & Bell, 2007). Studies have confirmed the link. An investigation in 2007 at the University of North Carolina conducted with 595 retired NFL players found that those who had suffered three or more concussions on the field showed 20.2% higher risk of depression. Among the players who had not suffered concussion was not the increase. In 2009, the NFL itself has commissioned a report to the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan found that retired football players had been diagnosed with neurological diseases like Alzheimer's or similar disorders related to memory much more frequently -19 times more-than the general population. The results showed that repeated blows to the head that these individuals had been caused detectable changes in the brain even before the appearance of neurological symptoms such as memory loss or cognitive function.

Research Objectives

This research endeavor will focus on addressing the following objectives:

It will analyze the ...