Annually, roughly 300,000 sports-related traumatic brain injuries occur in people aged 15 to 24 in the United States, with an overwhelming majority being concussion. A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury that is typically caused by contact such as a bump, blow, or jolt to the head. After the contact, the brain hits the side of the skull and moves rapidly back and forth. The sudden contact causes the brain to jolt around and even twist in the skull. Studies have shown that a student athlete has a 11.9 percent higher chance to have one or more concussions through their four years of high school, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Woodgrove High School’s Athletic Trainer Paul Peterson takes a special interest in concussions and their treatment for students. He explained, “As far as prevention, they say, ‘You gotta have those guardian caps the NFL wears,’ but none of that is going to prevent a concussion.” While concussions are more common in athletes, the county has a “Return-to-Learn Protocol” that takes precedence over their “Return-to-Play Protocol.” The “Return-to-Learn Protocol” states, “School personnel shall accommodate the gradual return to full participation in academic activities by a student who has suffered a concussion or other head injury as appropriate.”
It is not uncommon for parents and occasional “old-school” coaches to claim their child or player is fine to return to the game, but the county is working to combat that. Any student who “exhibits signs, symptoms or behaviors consistent with a concussion, or has been diagnosed with a concussion,” may not return to any activity on the day they are injured. A student may not return to practice, games, or competitions per the protocol until the student “no longer exhibits signs, symptoms or behaviors consistent with a concussion, at rest or with exertion; is asymptomatic during, or following periods of supervised exercise that is gradually intensifying; and receives a written medical release from a licensed healthcare provider.”
Loudoun County provides the IMPACT test, which is a cognitive test that aids medical professionals in diagnosing and treating concussions. All athletes in the county have to take the test before they can participate in activities, so that in the event they are suspected of having a concussion, they can retake the test and compare it to their baseline. Peterson explained, “The test is not pass or fail, you know, but it gives us some more information on how the brain is functioning cognitively and to let us know when it’s okay to get you back in the classroom.”
Many student athletes can have long-term effects from one too many concussions. Josh Hickman, a senior golfer and previous wrestler, said, “Some of the impacts of my five concussions has been the decrease in my eyesight and reaction time.” Simple head bumps or hits can add up and have life-altering changes. The more concussions someone gets, the more likely they are to have brain damage on their next hit to the head. To some people, concussion is treated as a simple injury that is easy to recover from, but concussions should be treated right away and to a high extent to help prevent damage to the brain that could end up completely altering your life.
Sophomore Elle Thomas, who previously was on the cheerleading squad, had to quit her sport because of concussions. She explained, “When I went back to cheer, I didn’t stunt right away, and when I did start stunting again, I had extra people spotting in case I fell. I decided to stop cheering, because there was a high chance I would have another concussion. If I did get another, I would have lingering side effects. I didn’t think it was worth going through that again.”
Concussions can possibly lead to long-lasting effects such as confusion, memory loss, mood swings, personality changes, insomnia, and excessive drowsiness. Additionally, in rare circumstances, it can lead to depression and make people more susceptible to neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. If you or anyone you know is suspect of a concussion and exhibits signs of memory loss, dizziness, confusion, vomiting, disorientation, slurred speech, or ringing in the ears, report it to a medical professional, as recognizing it during the early stages is crucial for recovery.