Scaffolding athletes’ choices and performance in risky and uncertain circumstances

Abstract

In this paper, I discuss the risks of brain injuries in collision and contact sports and make a proposal to address them without limiting the autonomy of athletes. I aim to analyse the circumstances of profound uncertainty that athletes are facing in terms of the long-term impact of brain injuries. My strategy is to circumvent drastic measures in dealing with such risks, such as banning certain sports or changing their nature by introducing constitutive rule changes, and to scaffold individual autonomy instead. I will focus on two aspects. First, I address the choice whether to take up or continue to play a risky sport given the mentioned profound level of ignorance. I argue that we can scaffold autonomy to make rational choices, particularly by enabling the application of heuristics. Second, I discuss performative skills that can help to prevent brain injuries. It is important to consider collision and contact sports as instances of joint action. The performance of others is an important factor in determining the level of risk in such sports. Hence, supporting athlete’s skills to prevent collisions can reduce the risk of brain injury. I conjecture ways to scaffold players’ skills and performance with this aim in mind.