Quote:
Originally Posted by undercoverbrother
You do you.
and frankly playing rugby is the least of the poor decisions/activities I subjected my body to
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Brain science moves slowly, and the trickle down into everyday sports culture moves even slower.
CTE wasn’t officially recognized until the 2000s, and it still can't be diagnosed in living people. Two athletes can take the same hit and have completely different outcomes - that's what makes brain injuries so unpredictable.
The issue in youth/high school/university sports is that we’re often dealing with policy lag; coaches, parents, and institutions are working off outdated or incomplete info, while science is still uncovering the basics of how the brain responds to trauma. As someone whose life was derailed by a brain injury (or ruined, depending on the mood I'm in,) I've developed a strong interest in brain science. I wouldn’t stop kids from playing sports. I think we're generally moving in the right direction with safety, but let’s not kid ourselves: certain sports--rugby, football, dirt biking--carry far higher risks. That said, you could fall during a game of badminton and crack your skull. Life is dangerous. You manage risk, not eliminate it.