The old saying, “rub some dirt on it and you’ll be fine” no longer has much standing when it comes to sports head injuries. When some 4,500 NFL players sued the league for $750 million over head injuries, it focused people’s attention on the long term effects of head trauma.  Recent studies have shown that the repeated impacts that occur in high risk contact sports, even minor impacts, can have distinct complications later in life – not just for professional athletes, but for student athletes as well.  

“Any time you come away with a headache or anything from getting hit in the head, you need to be cautious of it, because there are different levels of concussions.  Some are delayed and don’t happen immediately, and the results don’t happen immediately, but they can still be serious,” said Athletic Director Mr. Touloukian.

The WebMD definition of a concussion is “a type of traumatic brain injury that is caused by a blow to the head or body, a fall, or another injury that jars or shakes the brain inside the skull.” However, this general definition leaves room for interpretation, as proven by the multiple answers given by coaches and trainers.  Mr. Kiernan, the Boys’ Soccer Coach, defined it as any impact to the head that causes some sort of swelling, and added that a concussion does not necessarily include loss of consciousness.  Athletic Trainer Mrs. Vruggink provided the US Department of Health and Human Services’ definition: a brain injury caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or body.  She also said, “It’s an interruption to the brain.”

Heads up: Lev Zemlyanov ’15 heads a ball during practice. In both girls’ and boys’ soccer, heading is considered an important skill to have.

No matter the definition, student athletes should always be concerned with protecting themselves.  There are many ways to lower their risk for concussions and prevent concussions from worsening.

 “I don’t know what the cure-all for preventing concussions is, and I don’t know if there really is one.  I think it’s about proper education and training,” said Coach Kiernan.

For football and soccer, two of the highest risk sports going on right now, this means learning how to properly tackle, hit, and go up for headers.  Mrs. Vruggink also emphasized the importance of correct equipment and good nutritional and hydration habits.

The realization that even minor injuries can have serious effects encourages more students to be up front about any possible head trauma.  There has been a growing epidemic in the world of high school sports of athletes not wanting to report injuries for fear of missing out on a game or practice, and this habit becomes an even more dangerous problem with head injuries.  If left undiagnosed, athletes can continue practicing and could possibly take a second hit to the head.  This second impact is especially risky for teenage athletes. 

“For high school and junior high age, their brains aren’t fully matured, so the risk of them taking a second hit becomes a more serious situation than someone that’s in college.” said Mrs. Vruggink.

The more repeated hits the brain takes, the longer it will take for it to recover, and the possibility for not recovering at all becomes greater.

Athletic Trainer Mrs. Gupta said that some students may not want to miss a game, and if teammates are aware of injuries, they “shouldn’t be afraid to come step up and let the athletic trainer, the coach or the nurse know.”