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Testimony: Protecting non-pro Athletes
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Testimony: Protecting non-pro Athletes
Chairperson [Last Name], distinguished members of the Senate Committee on Health,
Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) in the federal Senate, thank you for allowing me to
address this crucial issue today. My name is [Your Name], and I hold a [Your Credentials] in
[Your Field]. I am here representing [Name of Organization/Group], a dedicated advocacy group
committed to the well-being and safety of non-professional athletes in contact sports.
The urgent need to safeguard amateur athletes participating in contact sports from head
trauma and concussions is the focus of my testimony today. Contact sports offer fantastic
chances for physical fitness, personal development, and companionship, as we know. However,
they also have built-in dangers, notably those connected to brain injuries and concussions. To
protect the health and future of amateur athletes competing in these sports, we must face this
issue head-on and take decisive action.
My statement aims to clarify the issue, lay out the possible adverse effects of inaction,
and suggest critical steps that this prestigious committee can take to lessen the impact of
concussions and head injuries. By sharing my account, I sincerely hope we will rally support for
comprehensive plans that put amateur athletes' safety and well-being first, allowing them to
participate in contact sports without risking their long-term health.
I will go into more detail about the issues of cost, accessibility, and quality in the sections
of my testimony that follow about non-professional athletes and head injuries. I recommend
reducing these difficulties and related data and statistics to support the issue's importance
(Murray et al., 2022). We can take significant steps toward a safer sporting environment and
safeguard the numerous athletes who compete in contact sports at different levels by
implementing these recommendations.
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Thank you again, Chairperson [Last Name], and esteemed committee members, for your
attention to this critical matter. Please consider the gravity of the problem and the transformative
potential of the solutions we propose. Together, we can ensure that non-professional athletes are
adequately protected, allowing them to thrive in the sports they love while preserving their longterm health and well-being.
The cost/access/quality problem
Non-professional athletes who play contact sports confront substantial cost, access, and
quality challenges regarding the care and prevention of concussions and head injuries. Allow me
to relate a powerful anecdote that illustrates our cause's gravity in order to shed some light on
this matter. Consider Alex, a promising football player in high school. Since childhood, he has
been an avid sports fan, and his goal is to play for the college team. However, due to a lack of
access to the necessary medical resources, Alex suffers a severe concussion during a regular
game that remains undiagnosed and untreated (Giordano et al., 2020). Alex loves the game, but
his hopes are dashed because he still has crippling symptoms that affect his academic
performance and quality of life.
The narrative of Alex is not an unusual occurrence. Numerous amateur athletes
nationwide, from high school athletes to leisure players, are vulnerable to the same problem.
There are severe repercussions for these players and their families due to the absence of
knowledge, tools, and complete processes to manage concussions and head injuries in nonprofessional sports (Amadon et al., 2023). Please allow me to provide some information to
support the impact of this issue. Sports-related concussions are thought to occur in the United
States annually at a rate of between 1.6 and 3.8 million, according to research by the Centers for
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Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Up to 50% of these concussions may go unreported or
undetected for several reasons, including a lack of access to healthcare providers who are
knowledgeable about sports-related injuries.
Furthermore, studies repeatedly show that untreated concussions have long-term effects.
Repeated head trauma can cause chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain
illness linked to cognitive loss, behavioral problems, and premature mortality. This information
was revealed in a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
These tragic outcomes not only affect the individual athletes but also place a strain on their
families and society at large. It was evident that the issue with non-professional athletes and
brain injuries regarding cost, access, and quality needs to be addressed immediately. We cannot
afford to ignore the overwhelming facts or the terrible repercussions people like Alex are
experiencing (Wooten et al., 2019). Regardless of their socioeconomic status or location, action
must be taken to guarantee that athletes at all levels access affordable and high-quality
healthcare.
Problem/Issue
Data
- The average cost of treating a concussion in the United States ranges from $2,500
Cost
to $5,000 per case.
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Problem/Issue
Data
- Economic burden includes indirect costs such as lost productivity and long-term
healthcare expenses.
Access
- Only 47% of high schools in the US have access to a certified athletic trainer.
- Limited access leads to delays in diagnosis, inadequate treatment, and increased
risks.
- Only 47% of sports-related concussions in youth athletes are referred to healthcare
Quality
professionals.
- Lack of standardized protocols and inconsistent guideline adherence contribute to
suboptimal care.
In the next section, I will outline our recommendations to address this problem and
provide a path toward comprehensive solutions. By implementing these measures, we can
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mitigate the impact of concussions and head injuries on non-professional athletes and create a
safer and more inclusive sporting environment for all.
What do you want your audience to do about the problem
urge the committee to take decisive action to protect non-professional athletes in contact
sports from concussion and head injuries. Specifically, I recommend implementing
comprehensive legislation that focuses on the following key areas
Improved Education and Awareness

impose mandatory education programs on concussion symptoms recognition,
preventative tactics, and appropriate response procedures for players, parents,
coaches, and school staff.

Ensure that all educational institutions and sporting groups have thorough
concussion management protocols, emphasizing the value of early identification
and appropriate medical examination.
Enhanced Access to Medical Professionals

Promote more financing for licensed sports trainers in schools, especially at the
high school level, where there is currently a shortage of availability.

Encourage partnerships between medical professionals and academic institutions
to set up procedures for prompt referral and specialized treatment of athletes who
may have had a concussion.
Standardized Protocols and Guidelines
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
Using evidence-based recommendations, establish uniform concussion evaluation
and management techniques for all contact sports.

Encourage sports leagues and governing authorities to enforce rigorous adherence
to these guidelines, including immediate removal from play and clearance before
resuming athletic activity.
Research and Surveillance

Allocate funds to longitudinal research on concussions' long-term consequences
on amateur athletes.

Encourage continued research to create cutting-edge safety measures and methods
to reduce the incidence of head injuries.
Implications of the solution/legislation to constituent groups: By implementing the
recommended solution, we can positively impact various constituent groups:
Athletes and Their Families

A safer sporting environment will result from improved safety measures giving
athletes and their families peace of mind.

Athletes' general well-being will improve, and the danger of long-term
consequences will be reduced with early detection and appropriate therapy of
concussions.
Schools and Educational Institutions

The school's capacity to give student-athletes the proper care and support will be
improved by improved access to licensed sports trainers and established
protocols.
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
Schools will be better equipped to avoid and manage concussions with increased
awareness and education proactively.
Sports Organizations and Governing Bodies

By putting uniform methods and rules into place, sports organizations will show a
dedication to player safety, improving their standing and moral character.

Adhering to recommended practices and working with healthcare specialists will
reduce the legal concerns of poor concussion management.
Stakeholders who share the recommendation and the facts that back up the position:
Several stakeholders support the implementation of comprehensive concussion legislation:
Medical Associations and Organizations

The American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Society for Sports
Medicine, and other medical organizations support strict concussion regulations
and recommendations to safeguard athletes' health.

They strongly emphasize the value of multidisciplinary treatment, instruction, and
concussion management.
Professional Sports Leagues

National Football League (NFL), National Hockey League (NHL), and National
Basketball Association (NBA) are three major professional sports leagues that
have strict concussion protocols in place.

Their findings and experiences add to the body of evidence demonstrating the
requirement for all-encompassing safeguards for amateur athletes.
Concussion Research Institutions
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
Organizations like the Concussion Legacy Foundation, Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) do a
study to comprehend the long-term impacts of concussions and create evidencebased guidance.

Their findings highlight how urgent it is to take measures to safeguard athletes at
all levels.
Knowing and countering the opposition's arguments: Opponents of comprehensive concussion
legislation may argue.
In contact sports, concussions are a risk that regulation cannot eliminate.

Contra: While it is true that contact sports have inherent dangers, we have to
reduce them and give them the most excellent safety possible. We can
significantly minimize concussions' frequency, seriousness, and long-term effects
by following evidence-based policies and standards.
"Implementation of comprehensive legislation will be costly and burdensome for schools
and sports organizations."

Contra: The cost of delay is greater than the expenditures necessary for effective
concussion management. Long-term healthcare and concussion treatment
expenditures are significantly higher than effective medical care, education, and
prevention.
"Athletes may not accurately report their symptoms, making it difficult to enforce proper
management protocols."
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
The ability of athletes to identify and report concussion symptoms is greatly aided
by education and awareness campaigns (Gould et al., 2023). We can establish an
environment where athletes are more prone to honestly report their symptoms,
enabling prompt intervention and care by fostering a culture that values athlete
well-being and offers the appropriate support.
Conclusion
Finally, I implore the committee to act quickly and enact comprehensive legislation to
safeguard amateur athletes participating in contact sports against head trauma and concussions.
The main proposals center on raising medical professional access, enhancing education and
awareness, standardizing protocols and guidelines, and supporting research and surveillance.
The reasons and facts that substantiate this position are as follows:
1. Concussions seriously threaten an athlete's health since they can lead to cognitive decline,
emotional disorders, and an increased chance of further injuries.
2. Lack of adequate management: The identification, evaluation, and management of
concussions have no established protocols because there is no comprehensive law. It
increases the danger of long-term consequences and exposes athletes to insufficient
medical attention.
3. High expenses for society and the economy: The costs of concussions on society and the
economy are high. We can lessen the financial strain on healthcare institutions and
society at large by making investments in medical care that is appropriate, preventative,
and educational.
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4. Reputable organizations support strict concussion regulations and procedures, including
medical groups, professional sports leagues, and concussion research centers. Their
knowledge and research offer a solid platform for implementing comprehensive
measures.
5. The benefits of comprehensive legislation include greater athlete well-being, a safer
sporting environment, early concussion detection and management, and an improved
reputation for sports organizations.
In order to protect amateur athletes who participate in contact sports, I want to stress once
more how critical it is to enact comprehensive laws. Acting immediately will allow us to
safeguard our athletes' health and safety while maintaining the standards of the sports they
compete in. Distinguished committee members and Chairman [Name of Chairperson], I
appreciate your attention to this vital topic. Your assistance in resolving this problem will
significantly improve the lives of other athletes.
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Reference
Government Organization Publication
Amadon, G. K., Goeckner, B. D., Brett, B. L., & Meier, T. B. (2023). Comparison of various
repetitive head impact exposure metrics and their associations with neurocognition in
collegiate-aged athletes. Archives of clinical neuropsychology..
https://academic.oup.com/acn/advance-articleabstract/doi/10.1093/arclin/acac107/6972882.
Professional Organization Publication
Giordano, K. R., Rojas-Valencia, L. M., Bhargava, V., & Lifshitz, J. (2020). Beyond the binary:
influence of sex and gender on outcome after traumatic brain injury. Journal of
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neurotrauma, 37(23), 2454-2459.
https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/neu.2020.7230 142(5)
Journal Article
Gould, H. P., Lostetter, S. J., Samuelson, E. R., & Guyton, G. P. (2023). Lower extremity injury
rates on artificial turf versus natural grass playing surfaces: A systematic review. The
American Journal of Sports Medicine, 51(6), 1615-1621.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/03635465211069562
Web Page
Murray, L., Vuoskoski, P., Wellman, J., & Hebron, C. (2022). ‘’It was the end of the world”–The
lifeworld of elite male rugby union players living with injury. An interpretative
phenomenological analysis. Physiotherapy theory and practice, 38(9), 1219-1232.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09593985.2020.1825578
Book
Wooten, D. W., Ortiz-Terán, L., Zubcevik, N., Zhang, X., Huang, C., Sepulcre, J., ... & El Fakhri,
G. (2019). Multi-modal signatures of tau pathology, neuronal fiber integrity, and
functional connectivity in traumatic brain injury. Journal of neurotrauma, 36(23), 32333243. https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/neu.2018.6178