The Manhattan shooting is a stark reminder of sport’s hidden concussion crisis

But amid the shock and grief, a note left behind by the young man responsible references his years playing American football and his battle with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a progressive neurodegenerative disease, forcing an uncomfortable and urgent conversation about the long-term impact of repeated head trauma in sports across the world.

The case has cast a harsh and necessary spotlight on the growing crisis around brain injury in sport. The risks of head impacts are real and not specific to professionals or elite athletes. This young man had never played beyond high school, and evidence proves this is enough to damage the brain. Despite mounting evidence, many sporting governing authorities continue to downplay or ignore the dangers of repetitive head impacts, promoting outdated and ineffective safety equipment and failing to act on the science that has been available for years.

CTE is a progressive brain disease associated with memory loss, depression, aggression and, in some cases, suicide. It is not the result of a single collision, but of the cumulative effect of thousands of small-force impacts (sub-concussions) to the head that occur routinely in contact and collision sports. These sub-concussive impacts produce no symptoms of a concussion, adversely affect memory, the ability to focus, learn and think as well as behaviour but over time, they can cause irreversible brain damage.

What is most alarming is how early this damage begins. A single season of high school rugby can expose a young player to more than 1,500 sub-concussions to the head.

None of this is to say that we should steer young people away from sport. Participation in sport has enormous physical, mental, and social benefits, but we cannot expect athletes or parents to make informed choices when the information they need is not communicated clearly or consistently.

The technology to reduce the damaging effects of head impacts already exists, yet progress remains slow. What is lacking is the leadership and urgency to make meaningful change. Governing bodies, schools, and clubs must take responsibility for updating safety standards, permitting protective equipment and improving education around brain health beyond concussion identification and management.

Parents, schools and sports organisations must ask harder questions and demand better answers around brain protection. We would never tolerate this level of uncertainty or inaction when it comes to other forms of injury. It is time the brain received the same level of care and attention as it currently does for teeth and shins. The Manhattan tragedy is a painful reminder of what can happen when we ignore the warning signs. The science is there, and the evidence is growing. We can’t wait for more lives to be lost before we act.

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Judith McMinn is the CEO and founder of the innovative sports safety start-up, Rezon.

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