Guest Commentary - Game Must Act (on Concussions)

Concussions shouting warning to powers that be
Mike Preston
April 23, 2008

As Conor Finch lay on the field Monday evening, convulsing, I kept asking myself when the sport of lacrosse is going to do something about the growing number of concussions.

Ask any player these days, from the youth leagues to the professional teams, and everybody seems to have had one. They are as common as tattoos, almost as synonymous with lacrosse as faceoffs and body checks.

It's getting scary. Worse yet, most of the sport's governing bodies appear to be ignoring the issue. It will continue that way until the inevitable happens, when a player suffers paralysis or, worse yet, death.

We all understand the nature of lacrosse, that it's a physical game. And with contact come injuries. But with the injuries, there also has to be prevention, which hasn't kept pace with the evolution of the players who are bigger, stronger and faster these days.

But here are just a few suggestions to the lords of lacrosse and some actions that parents and schools need to adopt to possibly reduce the growing number of head injuries.

First of all, any blow to the head should result in a penalty. Any head-to-head shot should warrant an automatic ejection. There should be no room for discussion. No debate. Goodbye. . . .

Click here for the full article at BaltimoreSun.com.