Posted on Saturday, 4th September 2010 by Marcus Gollan


There have been a lot of changes over the years that have helped with head injuries. Helmets have improved, mouth guards have improved and even improved field turf at a lot of high schools has helped. However, even with all the changes, no one is concussion-proof.

St. Thomas Academy is finding that out the hard way. On Thursday night, they were without one of their linebackers due to a concussion and other players have missed practice time because of concussion symptoms.

“I think one of the toughest things is getting a kid to admit it. Headaches, blurred vision, but he doesn’t want to miss anything and he wants to play,” said Coach Dave Ziebarth.

A new rule will help with that. If a player is showing any signs of concussion, they must be immediately taken out of the game and can’t return until they receive medical clearance.

“I like to play it safe more than sorry. When in doubt, sit them out. I think that’s a big key for coaches and athletic trainers. If you have any doubt it’s better just to let them sit,” said St. Thomas Academy’s athletic trainer, Marisa Brouse.

It means a player could be removed from a game at any time, even the first quarter of a Prep Bowl game. Baseline testing will also help teams know whether a player is ready to come back from a concussion. Coaches know they can’t prevent injuries, but they can help to minimize them.

“It’s nice to know the kids are going to be protected. The brain injuries and the spinal injuries are the two major things we worry about and anything we can do to keep the kids safe is a good rule,” said Ziebarth.

Ziebarth said another thing they teach their players is not to lead with their head when they are making a tackle. He said a big reason concussions happen in the first place is because of poor technique.

The new concussion rule applies to other high school league sports as well.

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Tags: Head Injuries, Injuries
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