Alan Schwarz
| Alan Schwarz | |
|---|---|
| Born |
July 3, 1968 White Plains, New York |
| Residence | New York, New York |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | B.A., Mathematics |
| Alma mater | University of Pennsylvania |
| Occupation | Journalist |
| Years active | 1991–present |
| Employer | The New York Times |
| Known for | Popularizing concern about sports concussions, baseball writing |
| Home town | Scarsdale, New York |
Alan Schwarz (born July 3, 1968) is a Pulitzer Prize-nominated National Correspondent at The New York Times best known for writing more than 100 articles that exposed the seriousness of concussions among football players of all ages. His investigative and profile pieces are generally credited with revolutionizing the respect and protocol for head injuries in youth and professional sports. Schwarz's work was profiled in The New Yorker and several films, including "Head Games" and the 2013 “Frontline” PBS documentary "League of Denial". The Columbia Journalism Review featured him in its 2011 Art of Great Reporting issue and wrote of his concussion work, "He put the issue on the agenda of lawmakers, sports leagues, and the media at large — and helped create a new debate about risk and responsibility in sports." The series was described by one Hall of Fame sports writer, Murray Chass, as "the most remarkable feat in sports journalism history."
In 2011, Schwarz moved from the Times sports department to its National Desk and began writing controversial pieces on young people abusing Adderall and other stimulant medications for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. One April 2013 story, which uncovered how 15 percent of American children (and almost 20 percent of all boys nationwide) were being diagnosed with A.D.H.D. by the time they turn 18, prompted U.S. Congressman John F. Tierney to call for government hearings on overdiagnosis of A.D.H.D. and overprescription of stimulants. The stories have been met with considerable backlash from A.D.H.D. advocates.
Schwarz's background in mathematics is considered one of his strengths as a reporter, particularly in his investigation of football brain injuries. The American Statistical Association honored him for this in 2013 with its lifetime Excellence in Statistical Reporting award.
Schwarz's father taught him how to compute square roots when he was 4 years old. His interest in mathematics led to a strong interest in baseball, and he served as the statistician for the baseball team at Scarsdale High School,. At the University of Pennsylvania, where he majored in mathematics, Schwarz began covering sports for the student newspaper, The Daily Pennsylvanian. After graduating in 1990, Schwarz decided to attempt a career in journalism rather than follow his original plan of becoming a high school math teacher.
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