Surprising Science — April 3, 2011

Video Game Takes On Head Injuries

The Madden video game series seeks to hone a message that is difficult for many young football players to accept: get a concussion, and you are off the field for the rest of the day.

bigthinkeditor

In the new Madden N.F.L. 12 video game, football players who get a concussion are benched. The aim is to teach a new generation of athletes about safety in sport. “‘It’s a great approach to teach kids in a way that no one else can reach,’ said Chris Nowinski, the co-director of the Sports Legacy Institute and a former Harvard football player, who speaks at schools and summer camps about the seriousness of concussions. Nowinski added: ‘Considering how hard it is to reach young kids and expose them early, this is brilliant. You’re training kids from the cradle to play sports more safely. If you get a concussion, come out of the game. You can’t unteach that.'”

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