THIS MORNING, WERE KICKING OFF OUR SERIES, "CHANGING THE GAME
TODAY."
TODAY."
TAKING AN INTENSIVE LOOK AT THE
STATE OF YOUTH SPORTS.
>> WE ACTUALLY SURVEYED PARENTS
AT TODAY.COM AND FOUND THAT
NEARLY 90% OF THEM WORRY ABOUT CONCUSSIONS IF THEIR CHILDRENT
CONCUSSIONS IF THEIR CHILDREN PLAY CONTACT SPORTS.
HOW DO YOU MINIMIZE THE DANGER? STEPHANIE GOSK, WHO IS WORKING?
STEPHANIE GOSK, WHO IS WORKING HARD THIS MORNING, IS BACK WITH
A BIT OF A DIFFERENT STORY.
HI, AGAIN.
HI, AGAIN.
>> Reporter: HI.
THIS IS AN IMPORTANT ONE.
HEAD INJURIES HAVE BEEN FRONT AND CENTER IN THE CONVERSATION
ABOUT YOUTH SPORTS FOR YEARS,
WITH PARENTS SORTING THROUGH
CONFLICTING INFORMATION OR NOT
ENOUGH INFORMATION AT ALL.
WE SPOKE WITH COACHES, DOCTORS
AND PARENTS.
AND DISCOVERED THAT ALTHOUGH WE ARE DOING BETTER TO PROTECT OUR
CHILDRENS HEADS, AWARENESS IS
NOT WHERE IT SHOULD BE.
AND MANY EXPERTS SAY WE NEED TO DO MORE. EXPERTS SAY WE NEED TO
DO MORE. A TUESDAY NIGHT JUST OUTSIDE OF
CHICAGO.
CHICAGO.
THE ADDISON COWBOYS PRACTICE UNDER THE LIGHTS.YS PRACTICE
UNDER THE LIGHTS. THE YOUTH LEAGUE WITH PLAYERS
STARTING AS YOUNG AS 5 YEARS OLD
HAS BEEN AROUND FOR 60 YEARS.
RON MAXWELL HAS COACHED FOR 20
OF THEM.
OF THEM. >> FIVE, SIX YEARS AGO, WE HAD
12 TEAMS.
12 TEAMS. IT WAS 266 KIDS IN HELMETS OUT
HERE.
HERE.
>> Reporter: AND TONIGHT?
>> WE HAVE 98.
THATS IT.
>> Reporter: THATS A HUGE DROP. >> THATS A HUGE DROP.HUGE DROP.
>> THATS A HUGE DROP. >> Reporter: PARENTS ARE WORRIED
ABOUT HEAD INJURIES.
THATS WHY THE ADDISON COWBOYS
HAVE CHANGED THEIR HARD-HITTING
PRACTICES.
PRACTICES.
>> WE DONT HIT TOO OFTEN.
>> Reporter: AS MANY AS 2
MILLION SPORTS-RELATED
CONCUSSIONS ARE SUFFERED BY
CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 18
EVERY YEAR.
IN RECENT YEARS, THE NUMBER OF DIAGNOSED CONCUSSIONS HAS SHOT
UP, SUGGESTING WE ARE GETTING
BETTER AT IDENTIFYING THE
SYMPTOMS.
SYMPTOMS.
BUT IS IT ENOUGH?
>> THE IDEA THAT WE HAVE THIS
CONCUSSION ISSUE UNDER CONTROL
IS A MYTH.
>> Reporter: A FORMER PRO WRESTLER WHO HAS BATTLEDO
WRESTLER WHO HAS BATTLED MULTIPLE HEAD INJURIES,
CO-FOUNDED THE CONCUSSION LEGACY
FOUNDATION.
FOUNDATION.
>> WERE NOT RECOGNIZING ALL OF
THE CONCUSSIONS THAT HAPPEN.
>> Reporter: AND RESEARCH SHOWS
ITS NOT JUST THE BIG HITS THAT
IMPACT THE BRAIN.
>> THAT REPETITIVE CONCUSSIVE
INJURY, WHERE HE DOESNT FEEL IT, CAN ADD UP.E DOESNT FEEL
IT, CAN ADD UP.
THE BRAIN IS NOT MADE TO TAKE 5
MILLION HITS TO THE HEAD.
>> Reporter: DO YOU THINK
PARENTS HAVE A FALSE SENSE OF
SECURITY, IF ITS NOT LABELED A
CONCUSSION, ITS FINE.
>> YES.
AND I BLAME WE DOCTORS FOR IT.
>> Reporter: THIS DOCTOR
DISCOVERED THE BRAIN DISEASE
KNOWN AS CTE.
THE PATHOLOGIST WHO WAS PORTRAYED BY WILL SMITH IN THE
MOVIE "CONCUSSION" STIRS UP
CONTROVERSY.
CONTROVERSY.
>> IF YOU PLACE A HELDMENT ONMET
HEAD TO A CHILD, AND HE SUFFERS BLOWS TO THE HEAD, THAT CHILDRS
BLOWS TO THE HEAD, THAT CHILD SUFFERS BRAIN DAMAGE.
IF THATS NOT THE DEFINITION OF
CHILD ABUSE, WHAT IS IT?
>> Reporter: HE SAYS CHILDREN
SHOULD NOT PLAY FOOTBALL, ICE
HOCKEY, RUGBY, LACROSSE AND
SOCCER.
SOCCER.
AT LEAST NOT UNTIL HIGH SCHOOL. WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO?OOL.
WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO? WRAP OUR KIDS UP IN MATTRESSES
AND KEEP THEM IN THEIR BEDROOMS
FOR THEIR ENTIRE LIVES.
WHAT SHOULD KIDS PLAY?
>> THE HEALTHY SPORTS.
NONCONTACT SPORTS.
NONCONTACT SPORTS. >> Reporter: THIS HIGH SCHOOL
SENIOR WHO LIVES OUTSIDE BOSTON
WOULDNT TRADE A DAY OF PLAYING
A SPORT SHE LOVES.
>> IM SO THANKFUL OF MY TIME
PLAYING SOCCER.
PLAYING SOCCER. >> Reporter: SHE WILL NEVER PLAY
AGAIN, AFTER A CONCUSSION SHE
SUFFERED IN THE EIGHTH GRADE.
>> A GIRL TOOK A SHOT ON GOAL
AND NAILED ME IN THE BACK OF THE HEAD.AILED ME IN THE BACK OF THE
HEAD.
>> Reporter: WITH THE BALL?
>> YEAH.
I WAS REALLY NAUSEOUS. PRETTY BUSINESSDIZZY..
PRETTY BUSINESSDIZZY. COULDNT SEE VERY WELL.
I PLAYED THE REST OF THE GAME.
I DIDNT KNOW ANY BETTER.
>> Reporter: THE CONCUSSION HEAD
TO A CONDITION THAT GETS LITTLE
ATTENTION.
ATTENTION. POST-CONCUSSION SYNDROME.
POST-CONCUSSION SYNDROME. >> I DIDNT SIT THROUGH A CLASS
THE REST OF THAT YEAR.
>> Reporter: THE SYMPTOMS LASTED
MONTHS.
MONTHS.
COMPOUNDING THE PROBLEM, SHE
BANGED HER HEAD ON THE STAIRS.
YEARS LATER, SHE IS SUFFERING
FROM DAILY HEADACHES.
DID YOU HAVE ANY IDEA THAT WAS IN JEOPARDY, PLAYING THAT GAME?
>> NEVER.
>> NEVER.
NEVER WOULD HAVE OCCURRED TO US. >> Reporter: IN ADDISON, THISUS.
>> Reporter: IN ADDISON, THIS GROUP OF FOOTBALL MOMS IS OUT
HERE EVERY NIGHT, EVERY
PRACTICE.
PRACTICE. THAT IS SERIOUS DEDICATION.
>> ITS FUN TO WATCH.
>> Reporter: THEY TOLD ME THEY
WORRY ABOUT THE HITS BUT FEEL
THE BENEFITS OF PLAYING THE
SPORT OUTWEIGH THE RISKS.
>> I MEAN, SPEAKING TO MY OWN
PEDIATRICIAN, HE WAS FOR US
PLAYING FOOTBALL.
PLAYING FOOTBALL.
>> OVER THE YEARS, PLAYING FOOTBALL, I FEEL LIKE THATS
GIVEN HIM CONFIDENCE TO GROW
INTO HIMSELF.
INTO HIMSELF.
HES NOT AS AFRAID AS HE USED TO
BE.
>> Reporter: IF THESE KIDS
WERENT OUT HERE RIGHT NOW
PLAYING FOOTBALL, WHAT DO YOU
THINK THEY WOULD BE DOING?
>> THEY WOULD BE ON THE COUCH AT HOME.EY WOULD BE ON THE COUCH AT
HOME.
YOU DONT WANT YOUR KID TO BE ON
THE COUCH ALL DAY.
YOU WOULD RATHER HAVE THEM OUT HERE.OULD RATHER HAVE THEM OUT
HERE.
>> Reporter: WHAT PRECAUTIONS SHOULD PARENTS TAKE?ECAUTIONS
SHOULD PARENTS TAKE? TALK TO YOUR PEDIATRICIAN.
UNDERSTAND ALL THE POTENTIAL
RISKS.
RISKS.
AND MAKE SURE THERE ARE APPROPRIATE MEASURES TO LIMIT
DANGER.
DANGER.
YOU CAN CONSIDER NONCONTACT SPORTS LIKE TRACK AND FIELD OR
SWIMMING.
SWIMMING.
HERES AN INTERESTING SIGN OF
THE TIMES.
NOW, ONLY 36% OF PARENTS SAY
THEY WOULD LET THEIR 10-YEAR-OLD PLAY TACKLE FOOTBALL.10-YEAR-OLD
PLAY TACKLE FOOTBALL. HOW ABOUT THOSE NUMBERS?
>> FLAG FOOTBALL, MORE AND MORE
POPULAR THAN IT EVER HAS BEEN.
>> INCREDIBLE TO SEE THE