Steve Christilaw: New knowledge on brain injuries highlights risk of youth sports

I have a dangerous dog.

She’s not vicious – not unless you’re a dog toy filled with peanut butter. In fact she’s a sweet, loving dog who’s friendly and playful and who loves to stick her nose into the middle of the keyboard when I work.

River is a Great Dane – the harlequin variety that is white with black markings all over (or is it black with white markings? I can’t decide which). I’ve had more than a few people tell me she’s the biggest Dalmatian they’ve ever seen.

But here’s the thing. Being a Great Dane, she stands tall, and when she wags her long tail like it’s a police officer swinging a baton. She’s nailed more than a few male guests in very, very inhospitable places.

She loves to play with our grandson, whose head has grown to just the right height to be in range of that wagging baton, and he’s made adjustments. When her nose is in range, he covers his face to protect it from her lolling tongue, and when he’s near the business end, he raises his arms as if signaling a touchdown.

Now that he’s learned to protect himself from the dog, I’ve begun to worry about other things that might threaten him, because so many things he will face in the years ahead will come with a degree of danger.

Already his grandma made sure he got his first bicycle helmet cinched up properly before he climbed aboard his first tricycle. It makes him look kind of like the Great Gazoo from those old Flintstones cartoons, but it adds a measure of safety while he pedals up around. He’s sure to grow into the helmet as his bikes lose a wheel and gain a lot of speed.

If he chooses to ride skateboards, I’m sure grandma will be there with knee pads and elbow pads. When it comes time to learn how to drive, I have a hunch she’ll get him a crash helmet.

I used to think that my kids should definitely play sports the way my brother and I did growing up. I think playing team sports teach a great many lessons, not the least of which is learning to play well with others.

I’m not from the camp that feels sports build character, however. I subscribe more to the philosophy put forward by the late, great sports writer Heywood Hale Broun:

“Anybody who teaches a skill, which coaches do, is admirable,” he wrote. “But sports doesn’t build character. Character is built pretty much by the time you’re six or seven. Sports reveal character. Sports heightens your perceptions. Let that be enough.”

But these days it’s not such an easy call and I’ve begun to wonder about some sports.

I’ve done a good deal of research on head injuries and sports and the data is alarming. The risk of cumulative brain injury from repeated head trauma is scary. From playing football, from playing hockey and even from playing soccer.

A great deal has been written in recent days about the dangers of football, and those dangers have hit close to home. A young man from Seattle’s Evergreen High School died late Monday night after being injured in his school’s Homecoming game against Highline. The young defensive back was injured making a tackle. His family has said he died from a traumatic brain injury – he was the fourth high school football player to die already this season.

Some new data on soccer sparks a cautionary note for youngsters. A growing number of former soccer icons, starting with United States Women’s National Team hero Brandi Chastain, are pushing for a ban on headers in youth soccer. Heading a soccer ball can be dangerous for players who have yet to develop the muscular support to safely use the technique.

Kids get hurt playing sports – I know I did. I dislocated a shoulder and broke a leg playing softball, broke a finger playing college rugby and sprained more ankles than you can shake a stick at playing pick-up basketball.

Learning the difference between being injured and playing hurt was a good life lesson.

But head injuries are a whole new equation and I think caution is an admirable thing in the light of growing data.

What will I advise my grandson’s parents when it comes to playing sports?

First, I hope there is a good deal more information out there when it comes time for that. The way forward may well be much more obvious by then.

Second, I will advise them to let him grow. Don’t rush him into sports before he body has the chance to grow into his body. Football and soccer, hockey and baseball will be there when he’s ready. Meanwhile, teach him to swim – that may well save his life one day. Teach him to run – learning to push himself is a great life lesson, too. Teach him to have fun being active – that has life-changing benefits.

And thirdly, I will encourage them to play with him while he’s growing up. Don’t miss out on that part of having a kid. Be a little selfish in that regard, because it will be all-too-soon when he’s going to want to go off and play with others.