11 Athlete Health and Safety

Athlete Health and Safety

• Importance of athlete health and safety in sports business operations.

• Athletes face serious risks, and there are no foolproof solutions for protection.

• Discussion of prevalent health and safety concerns and their operational and reputational threats.

Health Risks in Sports

• Athlete bodies endure physical tolls likened to automobile crashes weekly.

• Common issues include sports injuries and chronic pain.

• Athlete health and safety involves multiple sports with unique sets of concerns.

• Major concerns reviewed:

  • Sports-related concussions: A critical issue in football, soccer, boxing, MMA.

  • Doping: Health implications worldwide across all sports.

Concussions and CTE

• Concussions represent serious health risks leading to chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

• CTE is a degenerative brain disease caused by repeated head trauma.

• Significant findings from a study at the CTE Center at Boston University:

  • Examined 202 football players' brains; 110 from NFL showed signs of CTE.

  • Highest prevalence in NFL linemen due to repeated trauma from collisions.

  • Symptoms include memory loss, aggression, depression, and dementia appearing years after trauma.

  • Not limited to football; prevalent in boxing, MMA, soccer, and hockey as well.

  • Ongoing reputational crisis for American football due to heightened awareness and declining youth participation.

• Financial and healthcare repercussions on individuals and organizations due to player health deterioration.

  • Example: 4,500 NFL players in a class action lawsuit for CTE issues.

Doping in Sports

• Doping refers to performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) that athletes use for enhanced performance.

• Types of PEDs include steroids and blood transfusions.

• Doping poses significant health risks and is viewed as cheating.

• Instances include:

  • Lance Armstrong and Floyd Landis in cycling.

  • Major League Baseball scandals involving players like Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds.

  • NCAA sanctions against Syracuse University basketball team in 2015.

  • 200 athletes from Russia caught doping before the 2016 Rio Olympics.

  • WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) evolution and its primary roles.

  • Doping denial strategies athletes use to maintain reputations amidst accusations.

    • Example: Marion Jones, who initially denied but later admitted to doping, leading to stripping of medals and prison time.

COVID-19 and Athlete Health

• The pandemic highlighted balancing athlete health and operational needs of sports.

• Various measures taken: testing, tracing, quarantines, with impacts on revenue.

• Professional Levels:

  • Different responses from leagues (NBA vs. Premier League).

  • NBA created a "bubble" to continue play, costing $180 million to prevent potential $1.5 billion loss.

• Collegiate Levels:

  • Student-athletes pressured to play despite health risks and differing campus guidelines.

  • Reports of myocarditis in athletes post-COVID raising safety concerns.

  • Increased infections traced back to university sporting events.

Technology in Athlete Health and Safety

• Evolution of technology in enhancing athlete health.

• Innovations include wearable sensors for heat management and concussion detection devices.

• The NFL's partnership with AWS for developing "Digital Athlete" to model on-field scenarios and improve player safety.

  • Implementation led to a significant reduction in kickoff-related concussions.

Conclusion

• Maintaining athlete health and safety is paramount and requires regular evaluations of operational practices.

• Collaboration between leagues and advocacy groups to create safer sports environments.

• Continued exploration of technological advancements can aid in athlete protection.

References

• Associated Press. (2007). Legal issues have left Marion Jones nearly broke.

• Beer, T. (2020). Perot: NBA’s bubble prevented $1.5 billion in losses.

• Boston University Research: CTE Center.

• Cobb, D., Kercheval, B., & Sallee, B. (2020). College football sees 139 games canceled or postponed due to COVID-19.

• Coombs, W. T. (2018). Athlete reputational crises: Linking crisis communication theory and sports crises.

• Forde, P., & Dellengerjan, R. (2021). Was the 2020 college football season worth it?

• Muniz-Pardos, B. et al. (2019). The use of technology to protect athletes in heat during competition.

• NFL (2019). Using artificial intelligence to advance player health and safety.

• Nocera, J. (2020). College football in COVID time is a failure.

• Sengupta, P. (2020). COVID-19 can harm athletes' hearts.

• WADA (2015). Independent Commission Report.

• Wilner, J. (2021). Pac-12 pandemic financials.

• Witte, K. (2020). COVID in context: Tracking spikes after sports events.

Athlete Health and Safety

Athlete health and safety is crucial in sports business operations as athletes face serious risks, and there are no foolproof solutions for their protection. This discussion highlights prevalent health and safety concerns that pose operational and reputational threats. The physical toll on athlete bodies can be likened to experiencing automobile crashes weekly, resulting in common issues such as sports injuries and chronic pain. Athlete health and safety encompasses multiple sports, each with unique concerns, including sports-related concussions—a critical issue particularly in football, soccer, boxing, and MMA—and doping, which carries health implications across all sports worldwide.

Concussions and CTE

Concussions pose serious health risks that can lead to chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease caused by repeated head trauma. A significant study conducted at the CTE Center at Boston University examined the brains of 202 football players, revealing that 110 of those from the NFL exhibited signs of CTE. The highest prevalence of CTE was found among NFL linemen due to repeated trauma from collisions. Symptoms of CTE include memory loss, aggression, depression, and dementia, which can appear years after the initial trauma. This issue is not limited to football; similar health risks are prevalent in boxing, MMA, soccer, and hockey, leading to an ongoing reputational crisis for American football amid heightened awareness and declining youth participation. The financial and healthcare repercussions of player health deterioration are significant, exemplified by a class action lawsuit involving 4,500 NFL players over CTE issues.

Doping in Sports

Doping refers to the use of performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) that athletes may use to augment their performance. Examples of PEDs include steroids and blood transfusions. Doping poses significant health risks and is broadly viewed as cheating. Notable instances include Lance Armstrong and Floyd Landis in cycling, various Major League Baseball scandals involving players like Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds, and NCAA sanctions against the Syracuse University basketball team in 2015. Additionally, 200 athletes from Russia were caught doping before the 2016 Rio Olympics, prompting the evolution of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and its primary roles. Athletes often employ denial strategies to maintain their reputations amidst doping accusations; a notable case is Marion Jones, who initially denied doping but later admitted it, resulting in the stripping of her medals and imprisonment.

COVID-19 and Athlete Health

The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the importance of balancing athlete health with the operational needs of sports. Various measures were implemented, such as testing, contact tracing, and quarantines, which impacted revenue. Responses from professional leagues varied, exemplified by the NBA's decision to create a "bubble" for continuing play, costing $180 million to prevent a potential $1.5 billion loss. At the collegiate level, student-athletes faced pressure to compete despite health risks, with differing campus guidelines contributing to the dilemma. Reports of myocarditis in athletes following COVID-19 raised safety concerns, and increased infections were traced back to university sporting events.

Technology in Athlete Health and Safety

The evolution of technology plays a significant role in enhancing athlete health. Innovations include wearable sensors designed for heat management and devices for concussion detection. The NFL's partnership with AWS to develop the "Digital Athlete" aims to model on-field scenarios to improve player safety, which has reportedly led to a significant reduction in kickoff-related concussions.

Conclusion

Maintaining athlete health and safety is of utmost importance and necessitates ongoing evaluations of operational practices. Collaboration between leagues and advocacy groups is essential to foster safer sports environments, while continued exploration of technological advancements can further protect athletes.