Today, many professional, collegiate, and high school athletes across our country suffer from a common injury. This is an injury with serious side effects that can permanently change their lives. This injury is a concussion. Concussions are a constant threat in sports. Coaches and athletes believed that a head injury that did not require a hospital visit could be ignored. We've been raised in a culture that celebrates hard knocks as a rite of passage, so we don't think twice about the bandages around our heads. (Carroll and Rosner 11). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are between 1.6 and 3.8 million sports-related head injuries in the United States each year. With the increasing number of concussions, the issue is relevant in today's society. Concussions are head trauma. In order to understand this growing problem, we must become aware of what a concussion is, the tests and treatments used, and the lifelong effects that concussions can cause. It is important for athletes to know this vital information about concussions in order to stay safe. “Concussion derives from the Latin word “concutere” which means to shake violently” (Cantu and Hayman 5). According to mayoclinic.org, "a concussion is a type of head injury caused by a blow to the head or body, a fall, or other injury that shakes or jolts the brain inside the skull." The brain floats in cerebrospinal fluid inside the skull. During a sudden blow to the head, the brain bounces against the sides of the skull. The damage occurs when your brain hits the skull because it is rough on the inside instead of smooth. This damage can alter the structure of brain cells...... middle of paper ......f, from the elementary to the professional level, the athlete is at risk for concussion. Competitors become bigger, faster and stronger, leading to more violent collisions. It is important for an athlete to understand what a concussion is, the tests and treatments used, and the lifelong effects that concussions can cause. Over the past decade, awareness of concussions has increased significantly to help protect players. There are many resources available today for coaches, parents and athletes to learn more about this head injury. There are also tests that are used to help athletes return to play safely. It is important to stay informed about concussions because they are impossible to prevent and can have lifelong physical and mental consequences. A concussion can end the life of an athlete or their family. No game is more important than an athlete's health.