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Ivy League Focuses on Concussions

By Katie Kelley

Republish: EasyPublish™ Published: 01Aug2011 Word count: 445 Viewed: 139 time(s) Get Free Content For Your Site

Ivy League presidents accepted reformed football rules and regulations for practices to reduce concussions and brain injuries in football. An ad hoc committee concerned about the severe injuries that may occur during football practices presented their goals and vision to the Ivy League Conference presidents.

Robin Harris, Ivy League athletic conference executive director, explains that the committee believes "concussions are a significant injury in football and wanted the Ivy League to take an active leadership role in developing steps and measures to limit concussions, first in football and then in other sports as appropriate." One of the new regulations will limit the number of full-contact days per week to two, a 60-percent decrease from the maximum allowed by the NCAA. In addition, the number of allowed full-contact practices in the spring will be reduced by one and the number of days that pads can be worn during both sessions of preseason two-a-days will be restricted to one.

Not only will there be a limit on the physical football practices to prevent potential brain injuries, there will also be educational programs implemented to inform the athletes on proper tackling technique, the signs and symptoms of concussion, and the potential ramifications of repeated brain trauma, both short and long-term.

For a long time, athletes have been in constant risk for traumatic brain injuries. In May 2011, the family of Derek Boogaard, a Canadian professional ice hockey player for the New York Rangers, donated his brain to the Sports Legacy Institute. The Sports Legacy Institute studies chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) present in athletes who undergo multiple concussions in full-contact sports. Former Chicago Bears safety, David Duerson, also donated his brain after his death for brain injury research.

Dartmouth President Jim Yong Kim said, "Given the lack of data regarding the number or type of hits that may cause long-term consequences in certain individuals, the committee concluded that it is important to minimize the likelihood and severity of hits to the head. Based on current and available data, we have taken appropriate steps to help ensure the safety of our football players, but as this remains an evolving area of study, future research must be monitored, and our recommendations could then be revisited and revised."

Although the athletic conference is imposing limitations on football, they will expand similar rules to other sports, such as men's and women's ice hockey, men's and women's lacrosse, and men's and women's soccer. The eight institutions that comprise the Ivy League athletic conference are Brown University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, Princeton University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Yale University.

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