Films on Demand

Sports Concussions and Youth Athletes

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Elana Michelle: Coaches and trainers are focusing on concussions.

It is the result of more understanding of the dangers of concussions.

That recovering from a hit often means more than just shaking it off.

Jon Farace: When I was in high school playing football, I was one of the smallest guys on the field.

I was 5'2", 120 pounds as a freshmen.

And there were some big kids.

I got hit by a couple of those guys and definitely got a few concussions playing high school football.

Elana Michelle: 23-year-old Jon Farace didn't know he had a concussion while playing high school football.

It wasn't until years later when he suffered another in a biking accident, and doctors described the symptoms.

Jon Farace: I'm positive I had multiple concussions playing high school football.

I know that for a fact just because of the symptoms that I had—when I would get hit really hard and—blurred vision, nausea, headaches, all those things that… you can tell it's a concussion.

Elana Michelle: Determining when someone has a concussion is the job of Dr. Gerard Gioia, a pediatric neuropsychologist at Children's National Medical Center in the Washington DC Area.

Dr. Gerard Gioia: So what concussion is is an injury to the brain when that head or brain takes a blow or a force.

Now it can either be directly to the head where the head moves, or it can be the body where the head whiplashes.

And basically, it stretches and strains the brain.

It affects what I call the software system of the brain… the electrochemical system, and that then renders it dysfunctional and produces a bunch of symptoms.

Elana Michelle: Those symptoms include headache, nausea, dizziness, double or blurry vision, sensitivity to light, feeling sluggish or groggy, problems concentrating, confusion, or even feeling not right.

Not all the symptoms will be present all the time.

One tool to help coaches, trainers, parents, and student-athletes determine when and how a concussion occurs is SCORE.

The Safe Concussion Outcome Recovery and Education Program launched by Children's National Medical Center in partnership with the Federal Center for Disease Control, an agency charged with identifying and preventing diseases.

Dr. Gerard Gioia: Concussions are like snowflakes, right?

They may have a certain form that is similar, but they really vary from individual to individual.

And the way that those symptoms play out or manifest in any given student or child or adult can vary.

Elana Michelle: Concussions are not confined to just contact sports such as football or hockey.

They can occur in everything from baseball to gymnastics.

[Whistle blowing] Christine Denny has coached women's lacrosse in Montgomery County, Maryland for eight years.

Christine Denny: I think a lot of people have started to realize that head injuries in children and teenagers is a lot more dangerous than people originally thought.

They just thought you get bumped around, and that's it.

But now, they're starting to realize that it has much more long-term impacts.

Elana Michelle: Like many sports, high school women's lacrosse is experimenting with different helmets.

However, the helmet only protects the outside of the skull.

A concussion is more often caused by the brain hitting the inside of the skull.

The result of a sudden impact.

Maryland, like most states, has strict rules designed to protect students who may have suffered a concussion, regardless of the sport.

Christine Denny: We have a list of things that we go through, and if there's any kind of suspected concussion, they're certainly not allowed to go back into the game.

Usually, the ambulance will be called or a parent, if they're there, will be called, and they are required to be cleared before they can come back in.

Elana Michelle: To help coaches and trainers spot concussions, the Center for Disease Control and SCORE have developed a list of what to look for.

Is the player dazed?

Confused about assignment or position?

Forgets an instruction?

Unsure of the score?

Moves clumsily?

Answers questions slowly?

Loses consciousness?

Shows mood changes?

Can't recall events prior to the hit?

Can't recall events after the hit?

SCORE and the CDC have also developed a smartphone app.

Answer yes or no to a list of questions, and the program helps evaluate if the athlete may have suffered a concussion.

It can then call an ambulance or notify parents that medical attention may be needed.

Awareness of concussions and their impact is also being taken to the classroom.

Dr. Gerard Gioia: What is the organ of learning?

The brain.

And so, it can be a real challenge for a student coming into the classroom to be able to concentrate, to learn new information, to have all the same energy they normally have for a full day of school.

And so it's really important to educate all staff to understand, what is this injury, and how does it play out in school?

Elana Michelle: And on the field of play, it's about changing behavior, getting the athlete to understand the danger of a brain injury.

Jon Farace: When you get hit by somebody, no matter how hard you get hit, you want to get right back up.

I mean, it's the nature of the game, right?

I mean, it's competitive out there, and even in practice, when you get hit by somebody, you just want to get right back up.

It's your natural instinct, right?

Elana Michelle: Changing that attitude is not just the responsibility of the coach.

Dr. Gerard Gioia: You're responsible not only for yourself but for your teammate.

And, in fact, more likely than not, in a team sport, it will be one of your other teammates that has the injury, not you.

Your friend could be in a lot of trouble if they take a hit.

They don't recognize it.

They may not be able to recognize it.

They take another hit, which now becomes a more serious problem.

You have a responsibility as a teammate to that individual.

Elana Michelle: For the. News, I'm Elana Michelle.

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