Youth Contact Sports and Broken Brains: Understanding the Hidden Risks of Mental Illness from Early Exposure to Concussive Trauma

Description

Game Time

A young athlete goes down. Our knees go weak. We hold our breath. The seconds stretch into minutes, but finally the athlete rises. We cheer.

The athlete rubs their head, then bravely plays on. We breathe again. No damage done.

Or so we think.

How familiar is this sight to parents and families around the country? How many times a week does this take place?

Sports-related injuries, suffered by child athletes, often go unreported and undiagnosed. Here in Youth Contact Sports and Broken Brains, Bruce Parkman, tells the story of his athletic son, Mac Parkman, and how his repetitive exposure to concussive/subconcussive trauma caused him to silently suffer with depression, schizophrenia, and suicidality, before taking his life at the age of 17.

Sports have a long history in society and the discussion of these issues may seem an unwelcome cultural shift, but in Youth Contact Sports and Broken Brains, Bruce Parkman takes a logical and scientific approach to linking mental illness with concussive/subconcussive trauma suffered by young athletes in contact sports.

Mac’s story and the family’s vulnerability are powerful and followed by undeniable science. Youth Contact Sports And Broken Brains breaks down the science of brain development, repetitive brain trauma, and their links to mental illness while giving parents the information they need to keep their children safe when participating in contact sports.

It is important to know:

• The human brain is not designed to handle repetitive trauma!
• Concussive/subconcussive trauma cannot be prevented by wearing helmets or pads.
• The exposure of a developing brain to subconcussive and concussive trauma can cause significant impact to the brain’s structure which over time can lead to cognitive and behavioral challenges, including mental illness.
• Repeated episodes of concussive/subconcussive trauma can cause significant changes to the structure and function of the brain in a condition known as Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE).
• Every child that plays a contact sport will suffer subconcussive trauma at every practice and game.
• Any damage done to the brain cannot be accurately assessed and its impacts will not be seen for years or decades after being damaged.
• There are forms of non-contact sports and numerous athletic activities for kids to enjoy . . . let them be kids!

This book and The Mac Parkman Foundation was formed out of the loss of a great young man to suicide at the age of 17 after struggling with mental illness caused by prolonged exposure to concussive and subconcussive trauma from contact sports at a young age.

Proceeds from this book will directly fund research and education on the links between concussive/subconcussive trauma and mental health surrounding contact sports and youth athletes.