“Aim for the sky and you will reach the ceiling, aim for the ceiling and you will reach the floor.” Bill Shankly
These are words spoken by the former Liverpool footballer and manager, Bill Shankly about hard work and perseverance in sport. Sometimes, however, it pays to know when you have gone too far as a football player with a strong football mind, such as in the case of experiencing a concussion.
A concussion is a mild type of traumatic brain injury that is often caused by a fall, a blow to the body or head or any injury that shakes the brain in the head. These nasty injuries happen when the brain crushes on the skull, as a result of too much force.
Concussions can cause physical effects such as temporary unconsciousness, confusion, dizziness, slowness, inability to concentrate and temporary incapacity of the affected individual. It is also a common occurrence for the victim to forget the events that happened right before the concussion and for them to get extreme headaches that last a long while.
There are chances that as a sportsperson, you may get a concussion. It can take a few hours and even some weeks, depending on the severity of the concussion; for a sportsperson to fully recover from the after-effects of concussions.
There is a relationship between mental health and concussions.
Researchers have reported that when players play after they experience concussions, their results are not steady. These players lose their football confidence.
If a player plays another game before fully recovering from the aftereffects of a former concussion, football psychology suggests that they are likely to underperform.
Their football mental capacities are also largely affected as these players display signs that their mental health has been compromised such as the feeling of loss of control, vulnerability and fear, worry, anxiety about the future, worry and a feeling of loss of identity.
Some coaches and players do not, however, realize that some of these injuries could be intense than they seem and often act in ways to push players even further. These players can end up getting multiple concussions before realizing the psychological effects, that the injuries are serious. Some players can become incapacitated for a while due to this cycle, and may take a very long time before recovery and before being able to play again.
It is always advisable to look and notice the signs of concussion and the effects it has on physical and mental health such as dizziness, inability to concentrate, slowness, and even unconsciousness. This might be the key to saving the football mental game and the career of a player who just had a brain injury such as a concussion.
More accurate reports also need to be produced by the bodies tasked with the responsibilities of finding out and reporting the occurrences of concussions as this can help give insight to sports psychologists to help develop new ways of dealing and coping with concussions.
If a player is suffering from a concussion, it is advisable to seek medical attention immediately to establish the severity of your injury as a player and if need be, how long you are going to stay off the field.
Coaches also should be observant with their players, keen enough to notice when something is wrong with the player, and they should be educated about the symptoms of concussions so they can know when the players require extra attention.
Recovering athletes should avoid scenarios in which the concussions are likely to reoccur.
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