Flag football proving an alternative to tackle football concussion fears

[caption id="attachment_1556" align="alignright" width="800"]flag football A member of the Kinght Saints jumps in the air as he tries to elude members of the Scruggs Raiders after making an interception. Concussions in tackle football have led to more and more parents signing their kids up for flag football leagues, such as PrimeTime Athletics, which oversees teams such as the Raiders and Saints. (Photo by Jeff Vinton)[/caption]Youth participation in flag football, basketball and soccer is on the rise in Mesa and elsewhere.


Concussions have altered football forever

The NFL hosted their very first Veterans Combine, in Arizona, this past March. The combine included some players who, despite suffering concussions in their career, are working to return to the very game that caused those injuries. However, NFL players aren’t the only ones impacted by this ongoing concern in the sports world. From high school to the NFL, current and former players, as well as coaches, weigh in on how brain injuries have changed the game at all skill levels.

Deveron Carr photo

Arizona sports concussions by patient ZIP code

This map documents concussions reported as a result of sports-related injuries. Patients were treated at Arizona hospitals, but some patients reside outside the state, according to a Cronkite News analysis of data from Arizona Department of Health Services. (Graphic by Aimee Cash and Langston Fields)


Doctors turning to innovative tools to combat sports concussions

[caption id="attachment_1513" align="alignright" width="800"]helmets ASU Head Athletic Trainer Dr. Rodger McCoy is working with the Barrow Neurological Institute to develop new equipment that will detect and monitor head injuries. “No helmet, no head device ever can protect you from a concussion completely,” Dr. McCoy said. (Photo by Ben Margiott)[/caption]Accelerometers. Mouthpieces that turn blue. IV dye. PET scores. Phone apps.


Youth football tackles concussion issues

Brian Brooks still remembers the first time he watched his son sustain a head injury playing tackle football. The hit left 10-year-old Carson down on the field, injured – and Brian with a parent’s worst nightmare.


From cheerleading to MMA, chance for concussion is hard to eliminate

At first glance, mixed martial arts and cheerleading appear to be at the opposite ends of the safety spectrum. But they share similar concerns and protocols when it comes to concussions.

boxing ring

Barrow Concussion Network built to protect Arizona high school athletes

Kyle Janes plays linebacker for Phoenix Christian High School. He suffered a concussion on the field this year. But the injury came in a less expected spot: the baseball diamond.

Phoenix Christina shortstop hits baseball

Department of Health: STDs on the rise for Arizona’s aging population

Health officials have good news and bad news when it comes to Arizona's senior set.


University of Arizona scientists research valley fever vaccine

Valley fever is a potentially debilitating disease that affects Arizonans more than anywhere else in the country, with 60 percent of all cases occurring in the Phoenix metropolitan area. But this non-contagious disease could be eradicated if scientists at the University of Arizona succeed in creating a vaccine.


Centers: Cronkite heroin documentary spurred addicts to seek help

A Cronkite News documentary on heroin addiction has brought new patients into rehabilitation facilities seeking help, representatives say.

Spokesman for The River Source

Scottsdale exec launches effort to support reproductive health

[caption id="attachment_912" align="aligncenter" width="800"]Peter Ax, founder and managing partner of Scottsdale-based Phoenix Capital Management launched PRJKT RUBY to allow women in the United States to purchase affordable birth control and generate proceeds for women’s health in Third World countries. Peter Ax, founder and managing partner of Scottsdale-based Phoenix Capital Management launched PRJKT RUBY to allow women in the United States to purchase affordable birth control and generate proceeds for women’s health in Third World countries.[/caption]After his teenage daughters visited Africa and Asia, the head of a venture capital firm decided to start offering affordable birth control in the U.S. and putting the proceeds toward reproductive health in the Third World.