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Chris Worthy
| Upstate Parent

It starts when your baby stands up for the first time and you instinctively reach out – hand in the air, ready to be a human airbag if a sudden impact threatens to cause a bump to the head. It becomes much harder to literally isolate them as they grow, especially when the sport calls them onto the field, turf or court.

The doctor Thom Mayer has seen almost everything. He trained in pediatric surgery and trauma and conducted some of the original research on traumatic brain injury. Mayer was the command physician in the Pentagon's rescue and recovery operation on September 11th, was operations manager during an anthrax outbreak, led a mobile emergency response team in Ukraine after the start of the war – and he knows a lot about the good and bad effects of sport children and adults. In fact, he is the medical director of the NFL Players Association and was the initiator of the NFL Concussion Guidelines program. And he really loves football.

“I'm a Midwestern kid who grew up in Anderson, Indiana and wanted to do nothing but play football in the NFL. I went to college to play football and had the opportunity to try out for the Bears and the Vikings,” Mayer said.

As Mayer tells it, the only thing holding him back from a career in the NFL was his size, speed, strength and talent. But what he may have lacked in some areas, he made up for in ways that have transformed the sport and those who play it. Mayer addresses the whole person, and he doesn't always say in black and white what should be played and when. He's also quick to note that while he's the medical director of the NFL Players Association, he doesn't speak on behalf of the organization.

Strength and contact sports

First, Mayer notes that concussions are not just limited to football. Soccer is indeed a contact sport, and Mayer points out that the majority of concussions in any single sport occur among female soccer players, but soccer has the formula for hard-hitting hits as players continue to get bigger and faster. As the number of concussions increased in the NFL, Mayer and others began to think about the importance of evaluating and treating concussions through a science-based lens.

“That led to a tremendous amount of work that was essentially about force containment – reducing the forces involved in head trauma and mitigating them as much as possible,” he said.

Mayer cites better helmets and rule changes that better protect players as the results.

“We must continue our efforts to ensure that both the short-term and long-term impacts are addressed in a way that allows us to make a difference,” he said.

Although Mayer said he didn't set out to change youth, high school or college sports, there has been a benefit for all contact sports.

What about football? The answer begins with a question about joy

But the real question he hears from parents is more direct: Should I let my child play sports?

“Like everything in life, there is a spectrum,” Mayer said. “The spectrum ranges from not playing football, not playing contact sports – I'm sure there are doctors who ask, 'Is it safe for my child to play soccer, lacrosse, soccer or hockey?'” You might say: “Never – just don't do it.” Well, I think that overlooks the fact that physical activity, playing on a team, understanding how to work hard and sacrifice for the good of a team, has enormous benefits bring yourself – all skills that we will need throughout our entire lives.”

And regardless of age, exercise is a crucial factor for health, said Mayer.

“An active life brings with it so many benefits, physical, mental, spiritual, psychological and, as it turns out, longevity,” he said. “When you put that into perspective, you come to an equation that says (sports are) important, not necessarily playing football. For me, it’s an individual decision that everyone has to make.”

Mayer wants every conversation about a child playing sports to begin with that child's deep joy. Why does the child want to do this? Is it important to them and if so, why?

“Listen to them and see what they have to say about it and start saying, 'Okay, I agree with you.' Are you ready to practice? Are you ready to finish your homework before you go to practice? Are you ready to make sure your uniform is clean? Are you willing to do whatever it takes before you even get in the car to drive to practice? Are you willing to leave if you don't feel like it?' I think parents should have these conversations about anything their child might get involved in,” he said.

After all, it's a game and it's supposed to be fun

For each sport, Mayer said parents should consider the coaching, access to athletic trainers and the culture of the program – it should be positive and emphasize fun. It is so important to him that as a coach it was part of the singing at the beginning and end of every training session.

When pressed on the soccer question, Mayer said contact soccer probably isn't necessary before the ages of 12 to 14. Mayer said that for younger age groups, flag football promotes teamwork and other important non-contact aspects of the sport.

“Putting them in a line, having pads and helmets, 7- or 8-year-old kids playing Oklahoma (contact) drills and having head-to-head contact, there's just no benefit to that. It won’t determine whether they even play in high school, college or the pros,” he said.

No matter when or in what form they enter the field, the right program and attitude can mean what really matters – “the people playing the game, their personal development, their ability to get better” – can last a lifetime said Mayer.

Mayer’s latest book, “Leadership Is Worthless…But Leading Is Priceless – What I Learned from 9/11, the NFL, and Ukraine” (Berrett-Koehler Publishers) is available now. Find out more at penguinrandomhouse.com/books/743095/leadership-is-worthlessbut-leading-is-priceless-by-thom-mayer-md.

On By John Fenwick

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