As you read the article (PDF File), apply reading strategies and take notes.

After reading the article, consider the following:

• What was the content of this article?
• What was the author’s position? Did they provide reasons to support their position?
• Do you agree or disagree with this author’s position? Why? Think of examples to support your position.

Write a 350 to 525 word argument that communicates whether you agree or disagree with the article. Explain why you agree or disagree. Support your position with 2 quotes or paraphrases* from the text.

The essay should be formatted in APA style, which includes:

• Original title
• Title page
• Cited evidence
• Reference(s)

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The Health Benefits of Youth Contact Sports Outweigh the
Risks
Authors: Joseph Maroon and Julian Bailes
Date: 2017
From: Gale Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection
Publisher: Gale, a Cengage Company
Document Type: Viewpoint essay
Length: 887 words
Content Level: (Level 4)
Lexile Measure: 1250L

Full Text:
Article Commentary

“Fear has created a market for concussion information and products, and the media is overreacting to sensational but
unsubstantiated pronouncements and factoids.”
Joseph C. Maroon is the vice chairman of the Department of Neurological Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center,
and Julian E. Bailes, Jr. is a neurological consultant for the NFL Players’ Association. In the following viewpoint, the authors discuss
youth contact sports and the risks of concussions, arguing that the benefits of youth sports outweigh the injury risks. They examine
the health risks associated with football and compare those risks to the benefits of playing, both for children in youth football
programs and professional football players. Maroon and Bailes conclude that parental fear of concussions is sensationalized but
also encouraging improvements in sports safety.

As you read, consider the following questions:

According to the authors, what benefits do children experience from playing a contact sport?1.
What do Maroon and Bailes mean by the phrase “sensational but unsubstantiated pronouncements and factoids”?2.
If a parent chose to prohibit his child from participating in youth football, what reasoning could he use to support his decision?3.

The incidence and severity of brain injury is one of the hottest topics in sports media today, and it is creating a storm of near-panic in
youth sports—especially football. We worry that the public’s misunderstanding of the available medical research is the gravest threat
facing organized contact sport at the youth and high school levels.

As neurosurgeons and early researchers of concussions and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), we are often asked if
parents should permit their kids to play football, ice hockey, lacrosse and other contact sports. Our answer is an unqualified yes. The
benefits of organized contact sports on childhood and adolescent development far outweigh the risks, given the available medical
data.

Benefits of Football

We are surgeons and researchers who have dedicated much of our lives to pursuing the safer play of contact sports. We are also
fathers and former collegiate athletes with a passion for the traditions and lessons learned from participating [in] organized contact
sports. These sports make invaluable contributions to character development and future success of children by teaching them
teamwork, discipline, self-control and triumph over adversity. These years also provide some of the most precious and long-lasting
memories parents make with their children.

Organized sports are a bulwark against the very real health risks associated with childhood obesity such as diabetes, hypertension
and cardiac disease. These benefits are critical to the health and development of our youth and they serve to show the need for a
more balanced approach to how we address the safety of our kids playing contact sports. Unfortunately, participation in youth football
nationally and high school football in many regions of the country have substantially fallen in recent years.

Concussion Risks

Why the near-hysteria about concussions? Perhaps it’s the heartbreak effects of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy on beloved
athletes, such as our friend and NFL Hall of Famer, the late Mike Webster. People wonder how kids are safe if the professionals are
not. It is a fair point, at first glance, but the data tell us otherwise.

Each year, more than 3 million kids play youth football; a million more play in high school; about 70,000 play at the college level; and
about 2,500 are professional football players. The medical literature on Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy reveals that in the past 10
years, a total of 63 football players were diagnosed with CTE, almost all professional athletes, out of approximately 44 million players.
Research has not quantified the almost-certain risk factors aside from concussions, such as genetics, pharmacological and
toxicological factors. So, is there a CTE epidemic and is withdrawing participation in organized contact sports the remedy? Our
answers are no and no.

Fear has created a market for concussion information and products, and the media is overreacting to sensational but unsubstantiated
pronouncements and factoids. The anti-football hype is so prevalent that even Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist, George Will,
asserted, “For all players who play five or more years, life expectancy is less than 60; for linemen it is much less,” without as much as
a footnote. It’s a shocking statistic but it’s not an accurate one. Research shows that retired NFL players are living as least as long as
their peers and have lower rates of cancer and heart disease.

Improvements in Safety

On the other hand, parental concern has instigated refinements in practice styles, rule changes, training and protective equipment
such as limits on checking in hockey and improved tackling technique in football. Equipment innovations in energy-dispersing pads,
telemedicine and technology to reduce brain cavitation inside the skull—known as “brain slosh”—will enhance the safety for young
athletes. Schools and youth leagues are adopting baseline neurocognitive tests, such as Immediate Post Athletic Concussion
Testing, to help physicians evaluate possible concussions for athletes. Telemedicine solutions will soon be able to link any sideline in
America with concussion-certified medical professionals using helmet sensors and a tablet.

We believe in medical technology advancements, thoughtful rule changes and safety protocols to protect players of all ages.
Increased levels of public and private investment in concussion prevention and management research should be a national priority.
Finally, the media and the public have an opportunity to refocus their attention away from fear and toward a more balanced approach,
preserving the physical and character development benefits of sports.

Full Text: COPYRIGHT 2020 Gale, a Cengage Company
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Maroon, Joseph, and Julian Bailes. “The Health Benefits of Youth Contact Sports Outweigh the Risks.” Gale Opposing Viewpoints

Online Collection, Gale, 2020. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints,
https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/EEAYEC052799645/OVIC?u=uphoenix&sid=OVIC&xid=6aaad15b. Accessed 13 Feb. 2020.
Originally published as “Weighing the childhood risks of contact sports,” Washington Times, 29 Jan. 2015.

Gale Document Number: GALE|EEAYEC052799645

Instruction

Consider the following process as you prepare to write your single source essay this week.

Prewrite your essay in a style works best for you (outlining, journaling, mapping, free writing, etc.).

Compose the essay. In the introduction paragraph, make sure to summarize the article. Then create a thesis statement that tells readers whether you agree or disagree with the writer’s claims and why you hold that position within the introductory paragraph.

Support your ideas in the body paragraphs of your essay (2-3 paragraphs). You can provide support with quotes or paraphrases from the article and then cite them in context and share the reference at the end. You may create citations and references by applying the

online generators

). There should be 2-3 examples of integrated evidence within your essay.

Conclude your essay in the last paragraph. Review the main ideas on your topic and restate the thesis. Offer any final words on the subject for the audience to take away.

Revise your work for errors in paragraph organization, focus, and grammar by applying the grammar tools from the

Center for Writing Excellence

.

Apply any other strategies to help check for errors, such as reading the essay aloud to yourself, reading it out of order, having a peer reader, or applying instructor feedback from previous weeks.

Title of Paper

Your Name

ENG/100

Date

Instructor Name

Type Title of Your Paper Here Again

Begin writing your response on this page. You may select and type over this template, but delete out anything that you do not complete yourself. Please double-space the entire document like this. Be sure to indent the first line of each paragraph between five and seven spaces. Summarize your article, and name the author.

Insert your thesis here, this is your main idea and the reasons you hold that point of view (in academic work on a research paper, there are usually three reasons, but for this reading response you may have only one or two).

Include a transitional phrase to move between ideas. Examples might include “primarily” or “overall.” Address the first reasoning point of your thesis. Then share evidence from the article and cite it with a last name and the year it was published. Include a page or paragraph number if this is a direct quotation (Name, 2019). Respond to the evidence. Conclude your response here, or as a separate conclusion paragraph.

References

Langan, J., & Albright, Z. L. (2019). College writing skills, with readings. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.

Reference and Citation generator

.>

5

How to Create a Family-Friendly Work Environment without Sacrificing Employee Productivity

Margaret Oakes

ENG/100

November 4, 2017

Dr. Barb Rowland
How to Create a Family-Friendly Work Environment without Sacrificing Employee Productivity

Coordinating supervision and care for young children is a common challenge faced by many working parents. It is extremely rare for school and business schedules to be perfectly aligned, and there is a wide range of unexpected events that place additional stress and frustration on modern families. For example, sudden illnesses, doctor’s appointments, and poorly communicated early dismissals all contribute to the rushed scramble to arrange childcare that is familiar to many parents of young children. Circumstances such as these are unfortunate for both companies and their employees. These types of situations force employees to make some tough decisions that could ultimately affect not only their job performance, but their overall happiness in their work environment. Companies can avoid these uncomfortable situations and increase productivity and happiness in workers by ensuring there is adequate family leave, allowing work-at-home days for applicable positions, and encouraging the use of all vacation time and sick time as needed.

Adequate Family Leave

One way companies can ensure productivity and happiness in workers is by providing adequate leave time for both parents following the birth of a child. Schulte (2014) indicates that there is a connection between an employee’s work-life balance. The problem is that most companies fail to see this link. Mothers need time to heal, rest, and become adjusted to the schedule and needs of a new baby. Newborns can sometimes have problems, such as jaundice, feeding issues, or sleeping difficulties. New parents should be able to take care of these issues before the child goes into some kind of daycare and companies need to be more responsive to these needs. If new parents have time to spend with their baby, they will not be so anxious, tired, or unsettled when they return to work. For instance, the Patagonia Company allows new parents a two-month parental leave (Schulte, 2014). This way, parents can come back to work ready to focus on their jobs again.

Work at Home Days

Workers’ happiness and productivity can also be increased by adding one work-at-home day to weekly schedules, if it fits with the position. A study by Daipuria and Kakar (2013) showed that a “compressed work week and work from home options also find favor amongst the respondents which give clear indication to the organization to remodel their work assignments to suit mutual requirements” (p. 51). Participants in the modified work environment find the flexibility in their schedules to be mutually beneficial for them and the companies for whom they work. While at first glance it may seem like an impossible task to create such an accommodating work arrangement, there are a lot of ways this can work for a company and its employees. Remote access via computer can make employees available anytime. Additionally, employees can participate in meetings via Skype, share documents, and send emails. The modified work schedule also makes it possible for employees to work outside of a traditional eight-hour workday as needed. Diapuria and Kakar (2013) concluded that a flexible work schedule is likely to “improve the work-life balance of the employee especially if they are working parents” (p. 51). So even if a company cannot spare someone for a whole day every week, this plan might be available as needed occasionally for the employee.

Vacation and Sick Time

Finally, companies should encourage the use of all yearly vacation time, as well as sick time when needed. It is possible that a situation may arise that an employee just cannot avoid. Sometimes parents are forced to make a decision between their sick child and their job. Sick days mean tending to a sick child at home. A workplace culture that frowns on people who stay home when they or their child cannot be at school or is sick only harms everyone working. It encourages people to lie or even sometimes inappropriately bring the child to work with them. Similarly, employees should not have to worry about vacation days which they need at unusual times to cover days when schools are closed as well as to take vacations. Allowing people to use these days as “personal days” for whatever reason creates a more honest workplace and more productive workforce when employees are at work. Krasulja, Blagojevic, and Radojevic (2015) have shown that organizations that offer work-life balance programs have happier employees who stay longer.

Conclusion

It is hard to imagine that working parents are productive or focused when they are forced to leave a sick, young child at home alone or in someone else’s care. Employers can avoid these unpleasant working conditions by implementing work-life balance programs that take into consideration work and life situations, bridging the gap between the two seemingly different environments without compromising employee productivity and even increasing employee satisfaction. Work-life balance programs that create more benefits like family leave, working at home, and personal leave days will give employees more flexibility in scheduling and approved time off which establishes a more family-friendly work environment.

References

Daipuria, P., & Kakar, D. (2013). Work-life balance for working parents: Perspectives and strategies. Journal of Strategic Human Resource Management, 2(1), 45-52. doi:http://search.proquest.com/docview/1478029323?accountid=35812

Krasulja, N., Blagojevic, M. V., & Radojevic, I. (2015, April). Working from home as alternative for achieving work-life balance. Ekonomika, 61(2), 131-142. doi:http://search.proquest.com/docview/1708884357?accountid=458

Schulte, B. (2014, October 26). Taking care of employees boosts Patagonia’s bottom line. The Washington Post. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.contentproxy.phoenix.edu/docview/1616420140?accountid=35812