As technology advances, we are able to learn more and more about concussions; however, even as we learn more, people still seem to ignore the possible long term effects of concussions. By ignoring a significant head injury players face more serious consequences to their health as they continue to play.

“The symptoms of concussions that are most reported are headache and dizziness,” said athletic trainer Mr. Tim Cocrane.

On Sept. 28, Shane Morris, a Michigan football player presented both of these symptoms. Despite having these symptoms, the Michigan coaching staff decided to keep the quarterback in, ignoring the fact the player came off the field unbalanced and stumbling. Potomac Falls tries to make sure all student athletes are in good health by having sideline testing if they see any conflict that could result in concussion like symptoms.

Video courtesy of ABC7.

“Football can prevent concussions by using correct education, correct technique, and potential rule changes,” said Mr. Cocrane.

Potomac Falls football is trying to prevent concussions by taking the head out of the game. The coaching staff does several drills at the start of every practice to help players tackle in ways that will keep them and their opponent safe. Along with educating the players, the team has held many fundraising activities. The team has sold discount cards and held several fundraisers at restaurants. The fundraising allows the team to be able to purchase more up-to-date and safe equipment such as helmets to help reduce the likelihood of getting a concussion.

With concussions being part of the game of football, some student athletes still sustain concussions. “I started feeling light headed, dizzy, and nauseous,” said Potomac Falls football player sophomore Rafat Abu-Ghannam. Abu-Ghannam sustained his concussion in a head-to-head hit during a practice. After the impact, Abu-Ghannam was pulled from practice and had to take a concussion test. As a result of the concussion, Abu-Ghannam was out for a week of practice and missed one game.

Schools in Loudoun County have very strict guidelines about concussions. When a new student athlete comes to Potomac Falls they must take an impact test to see where their baseline data is. Along with the new student athletes, a player must take this test every two years to see where they stand again so the athletic board can have a more recent standpoint. The test is extremely important because it helps to get an understanding of where the athlete is when they are not concussed.

“What makes a concussion so serious is that it’s something that happens to the brain, and if not managed correctly there could be consequences such as second impact syndrome, and long term effect with both the physical, and the cognitive well being of our student athletes,” said Mr. Cocrane.

When student athletes sustain a concussion some seem to ignore it. The reason some athletes can get away with this is because concussions are not like broken bones or cuts, the effects are not always clearly shown. While the athlete continues to play, he does not understand repeated hits to the head could cause long term damage to the brain. The long term effects are not small as studies have shown conditions such as Alzheimer’s, which is memory loss that disrupts everyday life,  can occur from too many hits to the head.

Concussions are a very serious issue in sports today. Athletes need to start understanding the severity of concussions so people will start seeing their significance and that they are not something that should be ignored.