I am interested in this research question because I am very passionate about sports.  One of my favorite sports is football, and even though I never played, I still feel connected to the sport.  I think this is a serious issue in sport's today, and that is why I am interested in diving deeper into this topic. This research question affects me in a few ways.  I feel strongly towards the safety of the game, and for the longevity of the sport.  I feel that if no changes are made, football may become obsolete.  Parents will refuse to let their children play if they could obtain life threating injuries due to a concussion.  I also am affected by this question because I care about the lives of football players.  Watching these athletes suffer from diseases such as CTE, and even suicide, makes me very cautious for all football players.  I do not have any personal experience regarding this topic, as I have never played football or had a concussion.  I do feel that even though I have no personal experience regarding this topic, I have enough knowledge and passion in the sports field to be qualified to write about this.  It is my passion to work in the sports field and I have been following concussions in sports.  

The central claim of this article is defining what a concussion is, as well as listing the signs and symptoms of one.  The author specifically talks about how concussions in youth and adolescents differs from a concussion obtained by an adult.  The recovery time is longer, as well as more serious. 

The major values of this article are just to enunciate the importance of taking concussions seriously, and to explain all the symptoms of concussions.  The interests at stake in this article are those few circumstances where a child is rushed back from a concussion, and suffers more serious injuries.  The article makes sure to emphasize the importance of giving time to make sure the concussion is fully healed. 

This author, Jon Mukand, has a PhD and writes for the Rhode Island Medical Journal.  Dr. Mukand is qualified to write about this topic, and shows no signs of serious bias or fallacy towards one side.  The source, The Rhode Island Medical Journal, is a professional source that does not have any bias or opinions to it.  The article in this document is written using information, not argumentation. 

 The central claim of this argument is that there is a call to action to examine and study in depth concussions at the youth sport level, and try to gain some consistent knowledge that is applicable to helping in future situations.  This source does not contain any statistics, however it does use the evidence that there isn't enough statistics and research being done on the subject to contribute any answers to the numerous questions regarding youth concussions.

The major values and interest at stakes in this article are to maintain the sports as they are, but to protect the youth and adolescents in the process.  The author fears a possible downturn to sports if concussions become a more serious problem in the coming years.  Safety is the first priority; however, the sake of the sport seems equally important to the author. 

The author, Frederick Erdtmann, has credibility to his name.  He is a director on the Board on the Health of Select Populations, and has an MPH. The article comes from the Military Medicine, which has authors such as Erdtmann writing for them.  This is a professional source, and the information should be trusted and taking as true.

The central claim of this argument is regarding a 2014 court case against a high school district due to a student's head injury obtained in football.  The ruling of the case required coaches to attend instructional courses to receive proper education on how to spot, deal, and treat head injuries, specifically concussions.  

The major values and interests at stake are to make a point that some schools may not understand or be educated enough to properly treat concussions.  This is a major piece in determining whether or not kids should play football. If they do acquire an injury such as a concussion, then they need to be given the best possible treatment in order to fully recover from this injury. The people most at stake in this article are the student athletes, as well as the coaches and athletic trainers.

The source is difficult to interpret, however the key pieces of information obtained from this document lead me to believe that the author is credible, because he is only relaying information that had been discussed during the trial.  The source does not seem to contain any bias, and the American Journal of Trial Advocacy is a trustworthy source. 

This research question is arguable because some people feel that football is football and concussions are just a part of the sport.  However, some people, me included, believe football has become fatally dangerous, and that exposing children to this vicious sport is cruel.  There are clearly two sides to this argument, and this makes it debatable.  The different perspectives affect my own because I can see equal arguments for either side, however I still feel strongly about my stance and will stand firm in that belief.  I would need to revise my research question because it may seem a little too specific, however I do feel I can obtain significant information and articles regarding this subject in order to develop and present a well written and thought out argument. 
