“Friday Night Lights” will kick off again tonight on high school football fields across Northwest Indiana.
With these weekly games comes the heightened possibility of concussions for teenage players who, let’s face it, care more about playing hard than playing safe. This has been a fact of the game for generations of players who’ve learned that football is not a contact sport but a collision sport, from Pop Warner to professionals.
This is only partly why diagnoses of concussions rose to record-high numbers between 2010 and 2015, mostly among teens, according to a new report published by Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. The report says more than 936,000 claims were filed for diagnosed concussions among its insured members, with rates having increased by 70 percent for individuals ages 10 to 19. These rates spiked during high school football season, according to the claims data.
Why? Mostly due to more stringent laws, policies and “protocol” rules for monitoring student-athletes with head injuries. However, less than half of high school football players report their concussions, and younger children may not be able to verbalize their cognitive symptoms, according to the Indiana Youth Institute.
Josh Huddlestun, 26, of Hobart, played organized football since his early adolescence. Looking back, Huddlestun, who represents Hobart’s 2nd District on the City Council, has no idea exactly how many concussions he had.
“About 15 years ago, when I played Pop Warner football, I got my first concussion,” said Huddlestun, who later played for Hobart High School. “I believe I had concussions during my high school football days, but a lot of times it was, ‘Oh, you just got your bell rung.’ Concussions happen more frequently than people think.”
Concussions are medically defined as traumatic brain injuries that alter the way the brain functions. And most concussions heal over time with rest if no further injury occurs.
“The vast majority of teenagers who suffer a concussion return to normal without long-term complications,” said Dr. Leda Ghannad, a sports medicine physician at Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush in Munster.
Ghannad, who specializes in concussion treatment and protocol, typically conducts a 45-minute evaluation for young patients with concussion symptoms. This includes a thorough psychological history in addition to a complete neurological exam.
“Education is key, regardless of the player’s age. Coaches and parents also need to be as educated as possible,” she said. “I recommend smart play, meaning to not being overly aggressive in games while having limited contact in practice.”
Most of her patient referrals come from schools’ athletic trainers. This is how she met 21-year-old Evan Carston, who’s been playing organized football since he was 8. He figures he has sustained “about six” concussions since childhood.
“The first one was in seventh grade,” said Carston, who attended Providence Catholic High School in New Lenox, Ill.
“The latest one was three weeks ago,” added Carston, who plays ball at St. Ambrose University in Iowa. “The treatments have changed over the years, for sure. When I first got one, they told me I was fine and I just got my bell rung.”
I’ve heard this from several former high school football players who, at the time, downplayed their injuries. Getting your bell rung in football is akin to getting a twisted ankle in basketball. I’ve suffered both in my younger years. Except it’s your head at risk, with possible complications coming from multiple concussions.
“My concerns now are getting another one and suffering serious head injuries,” Carston said. “It is scary because the first couple I had were not that bad while recovering. The last couple have taken me more than a couple days or a week to be symptom-free.”
“Observable symptoms,” as they’re called, include any loss of consciousness, being slow to get up following a hit to the head, balance problems, disorientation and any visible facial injuries.
Indiana has a state law mandating protocol to be observed with all head injuries or possible concussions involving a high school student in games or practice. It reflects similar protocol efforts at the college and professional levels. In 2015, the NFL added a rule allowing for “medical spotters” to remove an injured player during a game.
I have little sympathy for NFL players who continually choose — yes, choose — to play a sport knowing its obvious dangers, including multiple concussions. By that age, they’re addicted to the game, the fame, the accolades and, of course, the money. For many of them, they pay for it with their body and their long-term health.
High school players, however, are playing simply for the love of the game, not for a paycheck. And they may not be aware enough of its dangers. Parents should be aware that their son’s first love goes deep, so much so that they may overlook getting their bell rung again and again.
A new survey, commissioned by UCLA, reveals that most parents may be following outdated advice when caring for a teenager with a concussion. For instance, many parents are afraid to let their kid sleep while in recovery, though sleep is exactly what’s needed to help the brain heal faster, researchers said.
The survey found that 84 percent of parents said they were likely to make their children refrain from any physical activity. While children should avoid activities that put them at risk for further injury, they should not be sedentary, researchers found.
Ghannad said Pop Warner leagues are generally more educated about concussion protocol than parent-managed leagues. Similarly, according to her patients’ cases, high school athletics officials are more educated than middle schools. She routinely gives public awareness presentations to parents involved with football leagues, as well as to health professionals.
There is no concrete data proving an accumulative negative effect regarding multiple concussions in teens, she said.
“It’s not like three concussions and you’re out for good,” she said.
Carston has had twice that many, at least, yet he has no regrets.
“I would not change a thing,” he told me. “Football has made me a better person and has given me some of the best friends a guy can ask for.”
Twitter@jdavich
To read the full news release about the concussion survey commissioned by UCLA and a video, go to www.newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/most-parents-likely-to-follow-outdated-advice-when-caring-for-a-child-with-a-concussion-ucla-survey-shows.
