Concussions in High School Football

Pete Stenhoff used to be a standout football player with dreams of playing football in college. That all changed with one hit.

Stenhoff was a physically fit, 210 pound linebacker for Chula Vista High School when he rammed his head into an opposing player’s chest two years ago. Medics rushed Stenhoff to the hospital that night, where he learned he had a cracked vertebra. He hasn’t walked since.

Confined to a wheelchair since then, Stenhoff not only lost the ability to play the game he loves, but also found himself struggling elsewhere. He has lost 38 pounds since the accident, and was unable to graduate from high school with his class.

Football injuries are often one of the most overlooked aspects of the sport. In high school alone, there are 20,000 injuries, with 2,400 of them resulting in permanent disabilities. 13 high school players died this past year because of these injuries, with most critics blaming the football helmet.

Stenhoff’s injury was blamed on his helmet, as he planted his head into an opposing player’s chest to make a tackle. While helmets are supposed to provide safety for players, these helmets often end up causing many injuries themselves.

According to Alan Schwarz of the New York Times, there is a significant flaw in the way that helmets are designed and used.

“The industry, which receives no governmental or other independent oversight, requires helmets for players of all ages to withstand only the extremely high-level force that would otherwise fracture skulls.”

The argument that he and many other critics make is that football players commonly think their bodies are indestructible wit these helmets on, and do not fully know of the dangers involved in playing football.

While Stenhoff may never be able to play the game of football again, he is graduating this year from high school and is trying to move on from his injury.

“I knew the risks involved when I decided to play football,” says Stenhoff, “but I wish I would have known just how bad it could be.”