ROELAND PARK, Kan. — Chad Stover from Tipton, Mo. collapsed at a football game in Sedalia, Mo. on Halloween night. He died on Thursday and his death is raising new concerns about football, students and concussions.
Bishop Meige hosts Blue Valley West Friday night in a big 5A playoff game. Trainers and coaches will be keeping a close eye on their athletes in light of the new study, which shows high school football players are twice as likely to suffer concussions than college football players.
The study was conducted by the Institute of Medicine and paid for in part by the NFL.
Researchers found a “culture of resistance” among high school football players and coaches, noting that head injuries are still not being treated as a major injury.
But they do say more high school athletes in all sports are reporting concussions.
Every state but Mississippi has passed a concussion law, but each state’s law is different in regards to how to treat athletes with concussions.
So here’s what researchers are recommending:
- Better diagnosis for concussions in young people
- Possible rule changes to make sports safer
- Increased efforts to change the culture and encourage reporting of symptoms and concussions
They are also calling for more research on the long-term effects of repetitive head trauma. With all the recent focus on concussions, some football leagues are reporting a 10 percent drop in the number of kids playing the sport.
