The St. Croix Valley Athletic Association football program announced that they will host a presentation by neurosurgeon Uzma Samadani, MD, PhD. 

Dr. Samadani, a researcher and medical practitioner at the University of Minnesota, is a nationally-recognized expert on traumatic brain injury.  She has recently published a book called The Football Decision in an attempt to help parents better understand all of the risks and benefits of playing contact sports.

The presentation will be held on Thursday, June 23rd at Stillwater Junior High School at 7:00 p.m.  The event is free and everyone is welcome to attend.

Matt Simcik, the chairman of the SCVAA football program, is himself a PhD professor and researcher, and a colleague of Dr. Samadani at the University of Minnesota.  SCVAA Football is hosting this discussion to help local parents better understand the benefits and risks associated with contact sports such as football.

“In 2010, when my youngest two boys were in third grade, we had enough players to form eight teams,” said Simcik.  “Last year, we were down to just five teams in third grade, and one elementary grade had just four teams.  There is no question that parents are scared about concussions, but the media hype is causing parents to overreact.  Parents need better information, and that’s what we’re trying to give them.”

In her book, Dr. Samadani argues that recent research does not support the often-repeated conclusion that youth concussions lead to long-term health effects.  She reports that neurosurgeons were at least 16 times more likely than the average undergraduate student to have played contact sports in college, and 1.5 times more likely than the general population to have sustained a concussion.  Also, 83% of neurosurgeons and brain injury experts would allow their own children to play contact sports.

“We know that physical activity has tremendous benefit for children, but we are only beginning to understand the benefits of risk-taking behaviors and team dynamics,” said Samadani in a recent interview.  “…[recent] work highlights how little we understand about brain injury and how much more research is needed…”

“Since I’ve been here in Stillwater, we’ve all worked very hard to make football safer and better, from third grade through senior high” said Ponies football head coach Beau LaBore.  “But all of our good work doesn’t seem to be enough to overcome media images of retired professional football players with dementia.  It’s not fair to compare the NFL with youth football, but it’s our reality right now and we have to fight back with better information.”

LaBore went on to plug the opportunity parents in the Valley are afforded. "I hope families take an hour to hear Dr. Samadani's compelling, research-based message."

LaBore noted that the Ponies Touchdown Club has raised private money to put players in the best possible helmets and pads.  A local orthodontist, Sletten and Brettin, donates custom-fit mouth guards to high school athletes every year.  Equipment can reduce injuries. Similarly, the Minnesota State High School League has implemented rule changes and practice guidelines that further make football safer.

Also, VAA football took over the 7th and 8th grade football program from the school district, in part so that more volunteer coaches would be on the field to supervise and train players.  LaBore has pressed Stillwater to become a certified Heads-Up Football community, which requires coaches at all levels to teach players the USA Football standardized curriculum about proper football blocking and tackling technique. LaBore himself was the designated Player Safety Coach in 2015.

“It’s incredibly frustrating to us in the football community that some researchers are making sweeping conclusions about youth football based on studies of pro athletes,” said LaBore.  “There’s a big difference between elementary football players and a guy that played four years of division one college football and had a seven-year pro career.”

LaBore noted that last year’s varsity personnel missed one player for one game due to concussion, and that injury required that the player be held out for one week. He played the five remaining games after taking one week to heal.

SCVAA football registrations are open from now until June 30th. So far, Simcik said that registrations for fall football are on track with last year.  VAA football has added a flag football option for second and third graders, and is working to improve outreach to get parents to sign up their children early.

For youth football registration information, parents are encouraged to visit the St. Croix Valley Athletic Association’s web site.