The Lost Boys: Traumatic Brain Injuries in Action Sports

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to uncover the unique and devastating consequences of untreated head injuries in a population that self-monitors their return to play after an injury. The secondary purpose was to identify the general perceptions of head injuries in the action sports culture and the themes that are common challenges for action sport athletes during their TBI rehabilitation in order to examine the coping skills that were used during their attempt to return to their sport. Seven athletes were interviewed. The sports represented were snowboarding, BMX racing, BMX freestyle, and motocross. The interviews assessed the following concepts: injury experience, symptoms, recovery, perception of the sport, return to sport, personality factors, and perception of head injuries. The interviews were transcribed and coded by the researcher in order to identify common themes and perceptions. The results indicated that the high frequency of injuries in action sports contributes partially to the perception of head injuries. It is a part of the culture to ignore injuries and push through pain. While the athletes have found success with this method in the past, it takes personal experience to convince them that head injuries should not be treated in the same manner. Since many of the athletes were unaware of their exact medical diagnosis, the severity of their injuries were established by how much their symptoms affected their day-to-day life. Physical symptoms were the most commonly reported, but psychological symptoms had a greater affect on the participants' day-to-day life. Generally, the participants who returned to play had higher levels of self-efficacy and self-awareness than the athletes who were not able to return. However, it is unclear from the study if the athletes had high self-efficacy because they were able to return, or if they were able to return because of their pre-injury characteristics. There was also a general consensus among the participants that more support and awareness about brain injuries were needed in their sport.