The concussion: From the Latin word concutere (“to shake violently”) or concussus (“action of striking together”), the concussion is the most common type of serious brain injury. American football-related head injuries are on the rise, not just at the professional level, but throughout college and high school, too.
The September 2010 edition of the Journal of Athletic Training (a publication of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA)), tackles this issue of concussions head-on with an article about the legal liability athletic trainers can face for football-related injuries. Here are some basic facts about concussions from the publication:
NATA has also endorsed recent legislation, the Protecting Student Athletes from Concussion Act of 2010, which is designed to establish requirements for the prevention and treatment of head injuries suffered in school athletic programs. Some of the goals in this new legislation include:
- Increasing student athletes’ access to an athletic trainer to manage concussions once they occur.
- Conducting baseline testing of student athletes prior to engagement in contact sports to ensure accurate assessment of a player’s condition after sustaining a concussion.
- Educating parents, coaches, teachers and other stakeholders about the signs and symptoms of concussion.
- Establishing state task forces to develop and implement state plans for concussion management.
NATA hopes to promote awareness about this important issue and hopefully make the athletic experience more enjoyable for everyone.
NATA is the professional membership association for certified athletic trainers and others who support the athletic training profession. Founded in 1950, NATA has grown to more than 30,000 members worldwide today.
As a high school ofiaifcl I have seen the evolution of concern over concussions, and rightly so over the last several years. A release was just sent out 2 days ago by the PIAA, the governing body for school sports in PA. It itemized the rules to be followed if an athlete shows any signs of concussion at all. He/she may not re-enter the game unless a doctor (not a trainer) is on staff at the game and authorizes it. In other words that athlete is pretty much done if the the ofiaifcl feels so. I believe this is the right approach. In my 39 years of officiating I’ve seen some serious head injuries that were not treated with the same caution and could have resulted in tragedies. When I was a football player years ago I suffered several concussions, and went back in the game. I remember that feeling, and it was very unpleasant, but I did what the coach told me to do. This is why informed adults need to be in charge of situations like this, because the athletes will do whatever the coach instructs.