Brain Damaged: Two-Minute Warning for Parents

The hits come again and again. On football and soccer fields. On the hockey ice. In the rodeo arena. For the young and the aging, for amateurs and professionals, the results are the same. With each blow to the head, the brain sloshes around like the yolk inside of a raw egg. The invaluable, delicate tissue of the organ that defines who we are is bruised, sometimes torn and bleeding. The damage is permanent, but may take years to show itself to the victims and their loved ones. These are the stories of the parents, wives and relatives who watched their fathers, sons and brothers become scattered puzzle pieces before their eyes, unable to make them whole again because of a loss of control, of mental acuity, or even the will to live. Through their loss also comes the resolve to create change, to erase the stigma of brain injury, and forge a new path on which our brains are more valued than the fleeting profit and adulation that come in a mere game.

“Fans of football love to extol the benefits of the sport. This book forces people to consider the
immense costs imposed on its players. Increasingly, people are realizing that these costs often greatly exceed the reported benefits. The stories told in this book not only describe what football did to players in the past, but also illustrate why football likely will have to change if it hopes to continue into the future.”

- David Berri, professor of Economics, Southern Utah University, author of “The Wages of Wins”
and “Sports Economics”

“Heartbreaking yet hopeful, Brain Damaged puts a brave, human face on the tragedy of brain injuries in youth sports, and serves both as a cautionary tale and a common-sense tool for parents of young athletes.”

- Bob Harkins, editor MSN.com, creator of Razed Sports podcast

“This informative book puts a spotlight on sports that are associated with brain damage. The factual information presented is clear and illustrated by poignant, personal stories of tragedy. The face of CTE is a face any of us might know and love. An important read for anyone concerned about safety in sports, from childhood through professional athlete.”

- Shana De Caro, Esq., board member, Brain Injury Association of America, and Michael V. Kaplen,
Esq., professor at George Washington Law School, brain injury lawyers and advocates

“Brain Damaged is a must-read before your child suits up for any sport, not just football. Kimberly Archie enlightened me and our Public Television audience in the award-winning profile “Nothing to Cheer About” – a revealing look at the inherent dangers of what can seem like the benign activity of cheerleading. Now, it’s the frightening effects of the head-banging game of football that's front and center in this powerfully enlightening book. It's meaningful. It's memorable. It's straight-up truthful. It's a book that belongs on your bedside table -- even if it keeps you up all night.”

- Angela Shelley, winner of Emmy and Edward R. Murrow awards as producer of “Nothing to Cheer About”

“Brain Damaged is a thought-provoking book that provides the reader with science-based information
concerning repetitive-hit sports that affect our youth. This book is a necessary must-read for all parents,
who are contemplating allowing their children to play any youth sport, so that they will be equipped
with facts about the risks involved.”

- Darcy Keith, award-winning public speaker and author, traumatic brain injury survivor, and board
Member of the Brain Injury Association of Indiana

“Read this book and for a few hours walk in the shoes of these families who share the lives of fathers,
husbands, sons and brothers gone too soon. Behind the brain injury statistics in sports there are real
people who have been loved and lost.”

- Katherine Snedaker LCSW, founder of PINKConcussions 

“When I was kicking the tires on writing a story on outdated football equipment, I asked a friend for an expert to be quoted in the article. The first person my friend suggested was Kimberly Archie. Brain Damaged lays out a meticulous case to show us all that a lack of oversight regarding concussions and CTE is a real thing.”

   - Evan F. Moore, digital content producer for news, Chicago Sun-Times

Brain Damaged is a genuine labor of love by those who paid the ultimate price that will help us do better in protecting kids in sport. 
Larry Mallory former NFL player