The date was Jan. 2, 2023, on Monday Night Football, when a player’s heart stopped working on the field, and he was rushed to the ICU.
Fortunately, Damar Hamlin has since made a recovery and is on his way to becoming healthy again. He suffered a sudden cardiac arrest likely caused by his direct collision to the chest with Bengals receiver Tee Higgins.
Exactly what happened to Hamlin has not been made clear, but people who work in sports medicine say that it is most likely a condition called Commotio Cordis. This is a rare condition where direct contact to the heart at just the right time in the heart cycle can send the heart into shock, stopping it from beating.
This has been ruled a freak accident, with no blame being placed on any players, officials or coaches. Regardless, the shock of seeing a person collapse on the field has reignited conversations about safety in sports.
Youth contact sports have been the main focus, as children are often too young to truly understand the risks they are taking by engaging in violent contact sports like football or hockey.
All contact sports are impacted by this, but football takes the brunt of the criticism as it is often considered the most violent sport. Head coach Larry Stroud gave some insight into how he works to keep players safe, “It’s kind of a long process, but the end result is teaching something called Heads Up football.”
Heads Up football refers to a strategy in tackling that keeps your head removed from the game as much as possible, and teaches kids how to lead with their shoulder in order to protect their heads and chest. Stroud said he was taught this technique in a coach training session led by Pete Carrol, head coach of the Seattle Seahawks.
In regard to equipment standards, those regulations are made at the state and district level, which Stroud and athletics director Randy Trumbower have to follow strictly. Every year each piece of equipment is thoroughly inspected, and if any don’t pass, they must be replaced.
“We had 20 helmets this year that didn’t pass inspection, so we’re ordering those ASAP so they can be here in time. Shoulder pads go through the same process,” Stroud said.
Players are all taught how to initiate contact safely through form drills and circuits that teach proper form and technique without putting their safety at nearly as much risk. They only have full contact practices once a week, in order to avoid putting players through additional strain that may lead to injuries.
It may seem like second nature to the uninitiated, but proper technique and form is extremely important for both the player tackling and the player being tackled, as hits at or below the knee can mean lifelong injuries, and hits above the shoulders can lead to concussions and/or paralysis.
Not all schools are as diligent as East is when it comes to athlete safety in contact sports. Many coaches still engage in full contact practices every day, and negligence in training could lead to players making extremely dangerous tackles that lead to intense injuries.
