The Brain on Youth Sports

Nearly 900,000 children ages 6 to 12 play tackle football. Is it so horrible for them to whack their noggins? Yes. “Common sense tells us that hitting our heads is bad for the brain,” says Stamm, a former high school athlete with a PhD in anatomy and neurobiology who studies chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or brain degeneration. She nixes the notion that helmets can be “concussion proof.” Even with a covering, a head can move rapidly after a blow. More than a third of athletes don’t report symptoms, sometimes because they’re afraid they’ll be labeled “soft,” lose their scholarships, or end their career. How about getting kids to stick to flag football? Tom Brady played it until ninth grade, while Walter Peyton and Jerry Rice didn’t play full contact until tenth grade. Stamm celebrates sports, which help prevent obesity while teaching discipline, dedication, perseverance, and teamwork. But she worries about blows during games of football, soccer, rugby, and ice hockey that can cause blurred vision, headache, dizziness, fatigue, anxiety, and nausea. There are lifesaving lessons here for young athletes, parents, and policymakers. * Booklist * This well-researched, thoroughly sourced work focuses on the dangers of repetitive brain trauma, particularly in youth contact sports. The chapter organization and accessible format shows a particular strength…. Another strength of this book is in the author's clear explanations of the science that informs current understanding of brain injuries, how those injuries happen, and why youthful brains are vulnerable during development. The author deftly dismantles common arguments and myths used by some in defending the current version of youth sports. A primary takeaway is that although people might not know everything, they do know enough to take the threat of brain injury seriously at the youth level and need to make changes now. This book offers practical solutions for doing just that and is important for anyone concerned about safety in youth sports. Essential. All readers. * Choice Reviews * Clinical assistant professor Julie Stamm, Ph.D applies her expertise in anatomy, childhood development, and athletics in The Brain on Youth Sports: The Science, the Myths, and the Future, a balanced scrutiny of the risks to the brain involved in youth sports. Stamm explains the science and medical knowledge behind concussions, CTE, and subconcussive impacts in terms accessible to parents, educators, and readers of all backgrounds. Stamm is emphatically not against youth sports; she is an ardent advocate of the physical and social benefits of athletic competition, but stresses that those benefits do not have to come at the cost of potential brain trauma. The Brain on Youth Sports offers practical suggestions for making youth sports safer for everyone, and is highly recommended especially for parents, educators, and youth coaches. * Library Bookwatch/Midwest Book Review * Stamm's book is a must read for all parents contemplating allowing their young child to play a collision sport as it will allow for an informed, highly-educated decision. -- Robert C. Cantu, MD, author of “Concussion and Our Kids” Clearheaded and productive conversation on brain injury from football is rare. Dr. Stamm has been an athlete, an athletic trainer, and a researcher. Her comprehensive experience provides an invaluable perspective. The Brain on Youth Sports is a gift to anyone aiming to gain an objective understanding of brain injury from football and other contact sports. -- Chris Borland, former NFL player and sport safety advocate We say we would do anything to protect our children, yet each year millions of parents enroll their children in dangerous sports that may damage their developing brain. Dr. Julie Stamm has written the most up to date guide to the complex science of concussions and repetitive brain trauma in sports. Whether you are a parent choosing the appropriate sport for your child or a coach wrestling with how to keep your athletes safe, the reader will walk away educated and inspired to do the right thing – and not hit children in the head. -- Chris Nowinski, PhD, author of “Head Games: The Global Concussion Crisis”