Soccer Moms Setting Kids Up for Alzheimer’s?
July 15, 2008 by Tracee Sioux
Filed under Parenting
Thanks to Mary Emma Allen for guest posting on Blog Fabulous. Mary Emma Allen writes four blogs for b5media: Alzheimer’s Notes Quilting and Patchwork, Home Biz Notes , and One Book Two Book.
“Setting my kids up for Alzheimer’s! No way! I’m a good mom,” you exclaim. “All the kids play soccer and football and sports like that.”
When I saw my granddaughter and her teammates stopping soccer balls with their heads and taking whomping hits, I cringed. That’s not how we played soccer in my day. (Yes, I did step into a depression on the soccer field and broke my leg during PE class. But not my head.)
Then there’s all that head contact when the kids play football at school and on community teams from a young age through high school. I’d wondered what damage results.
We generally wouldn’t let our kids beat their heads against a wall, no matter that we often hear that old adage about stone walls. So why in sports?
Is long term damage incurred in young minds and brains with head banging and concussions? Studies have come out that apparently connect football players’ brain injuries with memory loss and possible Alzheimer’s in older age.
The NFL, Concussions and Alzheimer’s disease
Ex-NFL players suffering from Alzheimer’s qualify for assistance.
Is this information something for parents to consider when they encourage their youngsters to participate in these sports, especially when there is so much pressure for winning teams, personal recognition and college scholarships?
What are your thoughts? If your youngsters play football or soccer or other head contact sports, does this concern you?
(c)2008 Mary Emma Allen
Thanks, Tracee, for inviting me to write a guest post for you. Have a fabulous time at BlogHer08.
This is sort of a scary thought. I never realized that head injury led to alzheimer’s..never made that connection I guess.
this is pretty scary to think about. We know it’s true in professional boxing. We know football players take risks of spinal cord injuries. Any sport with hard physical contact has a possiblity of serious life changing injuries. Do you think MEN will change the rules or amount of contact –NO – they love the rough contact. It’s up to MOM to decide if she wants to hold her kid out of sports because of potential injury. Tough decisions –I’m glad my kids are grown. One just started driving and the other is in Fire Fighter school …The worries never end!