‘Concussion’ doc’s six sports kids should never play – The Mercury News

SAN FRANCISCO — The pathologist who discovered the degenerative brain disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) has created a banned list of sports for children under 18.

Bennet Omalu, featured in the Will Smith movie “Concussion,” told an audience this week at the Commonwealth Club of San Francisco to steer clear of “high-impact, high-contact collision sports.”

Omalu’s Big Six:

• boxing
• football
• ice hockey
• mixed martial arts
• rugby
• wrestling

“There is no reason any child under 18 should play any” of those sports, said Omalu, San Joaquin County’s chief medical examiner. “There is no justifiable reason whatsoever.”

The pathologist also featured in the PBS documentary “League of Denial” said it doesn’t take a concussion to suffer brain damage.

“A concussion is a type of brain damage,” said Omalu, on tour for his book, “Truth doesn’t have a side: My alarming discovery about the danger of contact sports.” “Repeated blows to the head is a type of brain damage. When you play this game you have 100 percent risk of exposure to brain damage.”

Omalu also urged parents to be cautious of lacrosse and soccer.

“Please, don’t let your child play lacrosse,” he said. “Lacrosse has one of the highest incidences of concussions of all sports. Soccer, there shouldn’t be any heading whatsoever until they are 18.”

The sports Omalu endorsed: badminton, basketball, swimming, table tennis, tennis and track and field.