We know football players take some big hits.

Now, new research is giving us a clearer picture of how repeated head impacts can affect the brain, including findings of C.T.E. – a degenerative brain disease – in 215 of 878 former N.F.L. players whose brains were studied.

But the risks aren’t limited to professional football. Young athletes in many sports can suffer concussions and other head injuries, too.

This hour, we talk with a neurologist, a brain injury specialist, and a high school athletic director about what we know about C.T.E., how schools are approaching head injuries, and how to make sports safer.

Guests:
Dr. Anthony Alessi: Associate Clinical Professor of Neurology and Orthopedics, Director, UConn NeuroSport Program 
Victor Darr: Senior Brain Injury Specialist at the Brain Injury Alliance of Connecticut
Chris Meyers: Director of Athletics and Student Activities at Newington High School

We know football players take some big hits.
Now,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bmj.com/content/394/bmj-2026-100418">new research</a>&nbsp;is giving us a clearer picture of how repeated head impacts can affect the brain, including findings of C.T.E. &ndash; a degenerative brain disease &ndash; in 215 of 878 former N.F.L. players whose brains were studied.
But the risks aren&rsquo;t limited to professional football. Young athletes in many sports can suffer concussions and other head injuries, too.
This hour, we talk with a neurologist, a brain injury specialist, and a high school athletic director about what we know about C.T.E., how schools are approaching head injuries, and how to make sports safer.
Guests:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://facultydirectory.uchc.edu/profile?profileId=Alessi-Anthony">Dr. Anthony Alessi</a>:&nbsp;Associate Clinical Professor of Neurology and Orthopedics, Director, UConn NeuroSport Program&nbsp;</li>
<li>Victor Darr:&nbsp;Senior Brain Injury Specialist at the&nbsp;<a href="https://biact.org/">Brain Injury Alliance of Connecticut</a></li>
<li>Chris Meyers:&nbsp;Director of Athletics and Student Activities at&nbsp;<a href="https://hs.npsct.org/">Newington High School</a></li>
</ul>

Produced by Connecticut Public, 'Where We Live' puts Connecticut in context. Host Catherine Shen brings us fascinating, informed, in-depth conversations and stories beyond news headlines.  We start local, but we take time to explore domestic and international issues and consider how they impact us personally and here at home.

Produced by Connecticut Public, '<a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/show/where-we-live/about">Where We Live'</a> puts Connecticut in context. Host Catherine Shen brings us fascinating, informed, in-depth conversations and stories beyond news headlines.  We start local, but we take time to explore domestic and international issues and consider how they impact us personally and here at home.

Where We Live is a call-in talk show about who we are in Connecticut and our place in the world.

Where We Live

Produced by Connecticut Public, '<a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/show/where-we-live/about">Where We Live'</a> puts Connecticut in context. Host Catherine Shen brings us fascinating, informed, in-depth conversations and stories beyond news headlines.  We start local, but we take time to explore domestic and international issues and consider how they impact us personally and here at home.