On June 24, 2026, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission released new data on child drowning. An average of 376 children under 15 died in pool and spa incidents each year from 2021 to 2023. Of these fatalities, nearly 80% of the victims are under age five, and more than 70% of incidents at residential homes.
Less visible are the roughly 8,000 nonfatal drownings annually, as both adult and youth survivors of such incidents can sustain lasting brain damage. Diving adds a second summer hazard, particularly head-first impact in shallow water drives force straight through the neck.
While these numbers may cause worry, time in the water can safely stay one of the best parts of the summer by following some rules, including:
Assign a sober “water watcher”
Install four-sided fencing with self-latching gates
Enroll children in swimming lessons
Learn CPR
Enter unfamiliar water feet-first
On the other side of the spectrum, for those in recovery from a brain injury, aquatic therapy (AT) is a highly recognized form of treatment. A 2020 PubMed-available study found that “the use of AT during post-acute phase to improve motor functions and quality of life in patients with s[evere]TBI.” In March 2026, a new in-depth review of this subject was published on PubMed: Aquatic Therapy as a Programmable Multisensory Environment for Arousal and Postural Control After Severe Acquired Brain Injury.
On June 2, the Protect College Sports Act, S.4668, was introduced June 2 by Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz (TX) alongside Ranking Member Maria Cantwell (WA), Senator Eric Schmitt (MO) and Senator Chris Coons (DE). Chiefly an overhaul of name, image and likeness rules, “It [also] establishes strong health and safety protections,” stated Cruz on June 3, a day that was headlined by a hearing with the former Alabama coach Nick Saban. The legislation would require concussion and brain-injury safety standards enforced by independent officers and create a $60 million annual trust fund for long-term conditions such as CTE.
The committee voted 19-9 on June 18 to advance it, and it now sits on the Senate calendar awaiting a floor vote. Last week, on July 13, 2026, the bipartisan Protect College Sports Act picked up two new backers, as Senators Shelley Moore Capito (WV) and Peter Welch (VT) signed on as cosponsors. Days later, Senator Eric Schmitt told the Associated Press Sports Editors that they “probably have 60 votes,” meeting the threshold the measure needs to clear the full Senate.
The bill is backed by the NCAA but is opposed by the SEC and Big Ten. However, this opposition appears to be against financial aspects of the bill and about over government overreach, and not about new safety standards. Additionally, a House companion bill, H.R. 9137, remains in committee. President Trump has urged passage “this summer”.
This past weekend’s Major League Rugby Championship underscored rugby’s arrival in Illinois. With over 50,000 youth registrations in 2024 and more than 370,000 children introduced to the sport through outreach programs in 21 states, the game is one of the fastest-growing youth sports in the country.
For those who have already sustained a brain injury, structured aerobic activity, like the non-contact formats of tag and flag rugby, offer genuine therapeutic benefit. The sport’s emphasis on teamwork and communication also supports psychosocial recovery, reducing isolation among those navigating long-term concussion symptoms.
Yet the neuroscience demands caution. A 2023 study in Acta Neuropathologica found CTE in 68% of donated former-rugby brains, with risk rising 14% per additional year of play. A 2023 NIH-backed study in JAMA Neurology found CTE in 41% of contact-sport athletes under 30. The CDC estimates up to 3.8 million sports concussions annually. Sen. Maggie Hassan (NH) has called for action, stating that “the full scope of these injuries often goes unrecognized.”
A student athlete from Eastlake North High School in Ohio is recovering after sustaining a brain injury during a pole vault event at a track meet at Mayfield High School. According to reports and community updates, the student athlete’s pole broke while he was vaulting at maximum height. He fell straight down and struck his head on the vault box, a metal plant box that holds the pole.
Outdoor track and field is the most popular sport for girls at the high school level, with 513,808 participants in 2024–25, and participation on the boys’ side surged to 644,235 athletes during that time period. Recently, social media and sports streaming platforms have also enhanced pole vaulting’s visibility, which has attracted new entrants and expanding its base.
Despite its appeal, pole vaulting carries serious risks. A 2001 NIH-indexed study in the American Journal of Sports Medicine reviewed 32 catastrophic pole vault injuries reported between 1982 and 1998, finding that all occurred at an average age of 17.5 years, with 31 being catastrophic head injuries. Three means of injury dominated: athletes landing with their body on the pad but their head striking surrounding hard ground, missing the pad entirely, and prematurely releasing the pole. A 2012 follow-up study, also indexed on PubMed, found that from 2003 to 2011, 19 catastrophic injuries occurred. Averaging 2.1 per year, it was reported that 74% of these injuries involved athletes landing in or around the vault box, with 58% resulting in major head injuries.
Rule changes in 2003 by the NCAA, NFHS [National Federation of State High School Associations], and USA Track and Field – including enlarged landing pad dimensions – led to an 88% reduction in catastrophic injuries, with no fatalities reported since. Still, risks remain. Athletes can reduce injury risk by using properly rated poles, training under certified coaches, and considering ASTM [American Society for Testing and Materials]-certified helmets. Recent 2026 NFHS rule changes also clarified that padding requirements now apply to raised concrete or platform extensions above ground level that pose injury risks during falls.
The Eastlake North case is a reminder that even with two decades of safety improvements, more must be done to protect young athletes who soar.
The 2026 PGA Championship is now underway in Charlotte, North Carolina. This annual event is, “known for having one of the strongest fields in golf,” according to an AI Overview. It also brings attention to the connection between golf and brain injury, as golf can be used for therapeutic means of recovery. Much like every other sport, though, playing golf can also be perilous, increasingly so in recent years, as golf becomes more physically demanding.
On the therapeutic side, golf provides exercise that can be beneficial for hand-eye coordination: bilateral coordination, fine motor grip retraining, postural balance, and visuospatial focus. The option of golf carts as an ambulation asset also provides exercise that can aid with balance deficits. Physical therapists call it, “a great training tool for the brain and the body to rehabilitate.” Programs such as Saving Strokes – launched in Sacramento more than a decade ago and now running at more than twenty sites across the western United States – use the golf swing as a neuroplasticity workout, recruiting both sides of the brain and body to rebuild balance, timing, and grip. Additionally, and just as importantly, it also allows for social engagement, which can reduce depression.
However, as with every other physical sport, golf can also be dangerous. In October 2025, the New York State Golf Association reported that approximately 5 million rounds of golf were recorded between 2020 and 2023. While the same report found that only “8 patients presented with golf-related neurological injuries to our level 1 trauma center during that same time,” even one is too many. Another study, from 2024 and available to view on PubMed, is titled, and concluded, Golf cart injuries have similar severity to all-terrain vehicle injuries in children. U.S. emergency departments treat roughly 30,000 golf-related injuries each year, with the head and neck the most commonly injured regions. A separate study reports that 156,000-plus golf cart injuries were reported between 2007 and 2017, many involving skull fractures and intracranial bleeds. In early May 2026, for example, a Utah CrossFit gym owner suffered a subdural hematoma and was placed in a medically induced coma after the golf cart she was riding in tipped over. (This accident is now driving a $500,000 GoFundMe, as the woman will face a long road of neurorehabilitation.)
San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama tumbled face-first on the court in the second quarter of Game 2, on Tuesday, April 21, at the NBA Playoffs against Portland. The accident was both a serious blow to the player and the team, as Wembanyama averages 25.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 3.1 blocks per game. Fortunately, he returned for Game 4 of the game series, which San Antonio ultimately won. However, it is a sobering reminder both that nobody is concussion-proof and of the immense importance of NBA’s Concussion Protocol.
Through the years, incidents like Wembanyama’s head trauma have become more common and with greater consequences, as today’s NBA players are stronger and more athletic than those from the past. Due to this situation, the NBA finally had the wherewithal to institute a Concussion Protocol in the 2011–12 season. Before it, reportedly just 5.7 concussions were recorded per season in the League. Afterward, that number nearly tripled, not because the game suddenly got much more dangerous, but because of more “accurate reporting secondary to advances in player education, medical knowledge, national media coverage, and standardized testing protocols,” states a 2019 study, Concussions in the National Basketball Association: An Analysis from 1999-2018, available on PubMed.gov.
“A player diagnosed with a concussion should be regularly monitored for 24 hours … the player may not begin the return-to-participation exertion process until 24 hours after the time of injury,” read the original Protocol. In 2026, the Protocol is more rigorous: a player cannot return to full participation for at least 48 hours and must successfully complete cognitive tests before clearance.
Beyond the pros, college players are at risk, as are basketball players still in high school and younger. In the 2023 – 2024 season, approximately 250,000 students sustained concussions across nine high school sports, according to the National Federation of State High School Associations. Accordingly, Senator Dick Durbin (IL) introduced Protecting Student Athletes from Concussions Act on September 18, 2025. At that time, S.2889 was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. On February 17, 2026, Protecting Student Athletes from Concussions Act was introduced to the House by Representative Mark DeSaulnier (CA). H.R.7590 was then referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce. No action has been taken on either bill since their introductions. (While no federal sports concussion law yet exists, all 50 states have adopted youth sports concussion laws.)
Although injuries do happen, most notably in the NBA, ultimately a player is responsible for their own safety. In August 2024, the government published a systematic review, Sure Steps: Key Strategies for Protecting Basketball Players from Injuries, available on PubMed. Five of the six strategies highlight neuromuscular training, which includes strength work, stabilization or core, mobility, and agility.
Roofball is exactly what it sounds like: players throw or hit a ball onto a sloped roof, and opponents return it before it stops. Originating in America as early as the 1960s*, the sport exploded in popularity after a 2023 Reddit post showcased the Roofball World Championships, racking up 500,000+ views. In 2024, the Roofball World Championship even aired on ESPN.
The game uses simple equipment: a ball, a roof, and competitive spirit. Players score points based on ball placement, with gutters and roof angles adding unpredictable bounces that demand quick reflexes. It can be played one-on-one or with a team, usually during the warmer months of spring and summer. Now governed by the Roofball Federation of America (RFA), which has a presence in multiple states, from New Jersey to Oklahoma, it features regional tournaments. Recreationally, the sport can be played one-on-one or with teams.
Beyond fun, roofball’s rapid tracking and catching may benefit brain injury recovery. A 2025 randomized controlled trial published in Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and available on the PubMed database, found that ball-sport-based exercise therapy significantly improves motor function, balance, and quality of life in acquired brain injury patients. As hand-eye coordination disruption is among the most common deficits after brain injury, the repetitive coordination of handling a bouncing ball drives the neuroplasticity essential for recovery.
Roofball shows that healing can start on your own roof.
*Other reports state that it originated is Oregon in 1998.
E-bikes continue to grow in popularity, allowing one to avoid automobile traffic. But because e-bikes can reach speeds of 20 to 28 mph or more, crashes carry serious consequences, including severe traumatic brain injuries. More so, studies have found that young e-bikers suffer traumatic brain injuries at nearly twice the rate of traditional cyclists (37.8% vs. 19.4%). Notably, only 44% of hospitalized e-bike riders were wearing helmets, and helmetless riders were almost twice as likely to sustain a head injury.
The case of Bella Prince, a Utah teenager who crashed her e-bike into a retaining wall at 40 mph and tumbled 25 feet down a cliff, brought special attention to the e-bike issue in the State. The teen survived because of emergency neurosurgery, but she was left with a severe traumatic brain injury. Horrific stories like Bella’s are driving legislative action. Utah’s HB 381, Electric Mobility Device Amendments, passed both the House and Senate with broad support on February 13, 2026. The bill requires helmets for e-bike riders under 21 and empowers police to impound e-bikes from unsafe riders. (As of March 16, 2026, HB 381 has not been signed into law by the governor.)
Currently, only Alabama, Connecticut, and Massachusetts require helmets for all e-bike riders of every age and class. California, Georgia, Louisiana, Ohio, Tennessee, and Virginia, mandate helmets for all Class 3 e-bike riders, with Class 3 defined as bikes that are pedal-assist up to 28 mph. California also enacted a package including AB 1778 in 2024, which created a Marin County pilot program requiring all Class 2 riders to wear helmets and banning riders under 16 from Class 2 e-bikes. In New York, pending bill S2526 would require helmets for all e-bike and bicycle riders in larger cities, though the same bill has failed in prior years. New Jersey S4834/A6235 abolished the three-class system entirely and reclassified all e-bikes as “motorized bicycles” requiring licensing, registration, insurance, and mandatory helmets beginning in January 2026. However, as of now, no federal e-bike helmet law exists.
Yet e-bikes can also be part of traumatic brain injury recovery. The pedal-assist feature allows TBI survivors with limited stamina, balance issues, or motor challenges to engage in outdoor physical activity, which research links to improved cognitive function and mental health during rehabilitation.
Ultimately, the message is clear: e-bikes offer real benefits, but only when ridden safely.
Brain damage, particularly CTE, has widely been discussed in the past decades as a negative consequence of football. Beyond action on the field, a growing body of research reveals that this damage may be exasperated by the equipment worn by players to prevent harm. Research links heavier football helmets to increased brain injury risk in young players.
Virginia Tech’s Helmet Lab found that children, whose neck muscles are weaker and heads proportionally larger than adults’, are especially vulnerable – sustaining concussions at approximately 60g of head acceleration, compared to roughly 100g for college athletes. This knowledge has resulted in a drive of both equipment reforms and legislative action for youth football across the United States. Led by the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment, new StandardND005 regulations were finalized in July 2025. Youth football helmets must be a maximum of no more than 3.5 pounds, effective September 1, 2027.
States are also not waiting. In West Virginia, Senate Bill 657, the Cohen Craddock Student Athlete Safety Act, named for a 13-year-old who died August 24, 2024, from a football-related brain injury, advanced through the Senate Education Committee on February 12, 2026. The bill would allow schools to adopt protective soft-shell helmet covers during practices. At the federal level, Senator Durbin (IL) introduced S.2889 on September 18, 2025, conditioning federal education funding on state-level concussion safety protocols. (Beyond this initial reading, no further action appears to have been taken.)
As many anticipate 2026 Academy Award nominations to be announced tomorrow, one film, in particular, has gained Oscar buzz for cinematic acumen and, from me, its focus on an often overlooked sport. An A24 Films production Marty Supreme follows a 1950s ping pong hustler through his rise to glory. (Timothée Chalamet, who portrays the star table tennis player, has already won a Golden Globe for the role.) But beyond Hollywood, the sport at the heart of the film has proven transformative for brain injury patients.
Recent NIH research reveals that ping pong has remarkable therapeutic potential for traumatic brain injury recovery. A 2024 study published in Brain Research and indexed in NIH PubMed demonstrated that long-term table tennis training significantly alters dynamic functional connectivity and white matter microstructure in large-scale brain regions – enhancing cognitive function and attention in patients recovering from neurological injuries. This is due to the sport’s simultaneous engagement of visual tracking, motor coordination, and rapid decision-making, which triggers neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to rewire itself. A 2024 stroke rehabilitation study in the database showed significant brainwave changes in patients practicing seated table tennis, with enhanced activity in frontal and temporal regions associated with sensorimotor integration. This additionally supports broader applications of the sport for traumatic brain injury rehabilitation.
However, the term “ping pong” isn’t singly used to define the sport of table tennis. Ironically, “ping pong fracture” is the term used to describe a very serious infant condition: a depressed skull fracture that resembles a dented ball. These fractures occur in approximately 3 per 10,000 live births, often as the result of difficult deliveries. Fortunately, a 2022 World Neurosurgery systematic review of 228 cases found 96.4% achieve favorable outcomes without lasting neurological damage. Most resolve spontaneously within six months.
As is apparent, science continues to prove that ping pong’s medical connections, whether through the healing effects to the injured brain of gameplay or used to describe neonatal trauma, run deeper than any championship rally.
TBI on the Hill 