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Back in the Game: Why Concussion Doesn't Have to End Your Athletic Career
The word concussion was unheard of in youth sports a decade ago. The injury was indeed occurring, but youth athletes were often told to "shake it off" after "getting their bell rung". Science and increased awareness about concussion and brain health have transformed the way youth parents, coaches, and players pursue athletics. Fear of incurring concussions, as well as incomplete or incorrect information, is leading some parents to keep their children out of contact sports, such as football and soccer, where concussion is more prevalent.
Back in the Why Concussion Doesn't Have to End Your Athletic Career does not dwell on perpetuating fears but, rather, provides the most up-to-date understanding of the condition. This is a real-world discussion of what science and medicine know, what parents and coaches need to understand about concussion, evaluation and treatment, and what possible post-concussive issues exist.
The expertise and experiences of noted sports neurologist Jeffrey S. Kutcher, MD, along with reporting and interviews by award-winning sports journalist Joanne C. Gerstner, make this book a timely, relevant, and real discussion about concussions in youth sports. Athletes and professional coaches who have participated in the formation of this book include two-time Olympic gold medalist soccer player Kate Markgraf, former NHL/Team Canada head coach Andy Murray, champion X-Games snowboarder Ellery Hollingsworth, along with an array of youth parents, coaches, and athletes from across the country.
Back in the Why Concussion Doesn't Have to End Your Athletic Career does not dwell on perpetuating fears but, rather, provides the most up-to-date understanding of the condition. This is a real-world discussion of what science and medicine know, what parents and coaches need to understand about concussion, evaluation and treatment, and what possible post-concussive issues exist.
The expertise and experiences of noted sports neurologist Jeffrey S. Kutcher, MD, along with reporting and interviews by award-winning sports journalist Joanne C. Gerstner, make this book a timely, relevant, and real discussion about concussions in youth sports. Athletes and professional coaches who have participated in the formation of this book include two-time Olympic gold medalist soccer player Kate Markgraf, former NHL/Team Canada head coach Andy Murray, champion X-Games snowboarder Ellery Hollingsworth, along with an array of youth parents, coaches, and athletes from across the country.
272 pages, Hardcover
Published September 1, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
October 19, 2016
a fairly quick read that communicates several key points that are missing from our current dialog about concussion:
— concussion isn’t as straight-forward as sports commentators would have you believe
— the concussion/dementia story is very far from being worked out and may have little relevance for most individuals with concussion
— when thinking about what to do after a concussion, the benefits of playing sports have to be considered...and for some people those benefits are pretty huge.
together those points make a very reasonable case that concussion doesn’t have to mean that you’re done with sports. it shifts the concussion dialog away from “concussion = death/dementia/hell” to the much more realistic framework where its about balancing risks and benefits and where, for the vast majority of people, both the risks and benefits are low stakes.
critically, i think you do a couple things that make me squirm a
— concussion isn’t as straight-forward as sports commentators would have you believe
— the concussion/dementia story is very far from being worked out and may have little relevance for most individuals with concussion
— when thinking about what to do after a concussion, the benefits of playing sports have to be considered...and for some people those benefits are pretty huge.
together those points make a very reasonable case that concussion doesn’t have to mean that you’re done with sports. it shifts the concussion dialog away from “concussion = death/dementia/hell” to the much more realistic framework where its about balancing risks and benefits and where, for the vast majority of people, both the risks and benefits are low stakes.
critically, i think you do a couple things that make me squirm a
February 7, 2019
This is a pretty quick read. Dr. Kutcher does a wonderful job of communicating the importance of taking brain injuries seriously in sports, but also making sure that we are making decisions and getting information that is actually based on science. There is a ton of misinformation out there on concussions and brain injuries and there needs to be a balance. He also does a good job of communicating that there are risks in playing sports, as there are with anything we do, but also that needs to balance with not playing sports for kids. This is a great book that contributes to the ongoing discussion on concussion and brain injuries. We are just starting to seriously study and research these things and there is a long way to go.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews