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Hawaii Athletic Trainer Speaks Volumes About Concussion Protocols

October 24, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Chelsea Qualey Athletic Trainer At Konawaena

A couple seasons back we were lucky enough to travel to the State of Hawaii and the gorgeous Island of Hawaii.  While we were there we visited a few schools to look at their football teams and how they operate.  And we found some great kids and coaches and watched some games too. During the course of one of the games we saw at Konawaena High School there was a really hard hit and a concussion.  And there on that small little field in the most remote Islands on Earth we saw some of the very best response and follow up that we have ever seen. The incident at Konawaena was resolved quickly and effectively by a female athletic trainer and after the game we wanted to talk to her and get her perspectives about a Variety of issues that we are Championing at BrainChampions.org. We were very fortunate to sit down with Head Athletic Trainer Chelsea Qualey and dig in deep on issues effecting kids and school districts and we covered everything from legislation and best practices to … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Concussion Rules and Laws, Concussions: Girls Sports, Education, Second Impact Syndrome Tagged With: , , , , ,

New York FINALLY Get With the Program

July 5, 2012 By Leave a Comment
concussion and high school football. A deadly combination!

New York- New York.  It's Up to You New York. Good words on a day when the Empire State joined the rest of the country trying to get on board with the Concussion crisis.  They finally passed a law to protect the High School age kids.  Nothing really Earth Shaking.  Just a revamp of what many other States have done! The Concussion Management Awareness Act is a 27-page document published by the state that outlines concussion management guidelines with a stringent protocol for teachers and student athletes. The recommendations are the result of bill S.3953 that went into effect on Sunday. Under the new state law, New York public school students suspected of suffering a concussion must immediately be removed from the activity and cannot return until they have been evaluated by a doctor, and all of their symptoms have subsided. Even then, students and staff are required to follow a protocol that decrees a five-day slow return to any strenuous in class assignments or … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Concussion Rules and Laws, Education, Happening Now

BrainChampions.org On ESPN The Fan To Discuss CTE, Youth Football, and Junior Seau

May 21, 2012 By Leave a Comment

This was not a fun phone call to make.  But we are thankful to have had a chance for our Dirk Knudsen to call in and talk with the 1080 The Fan Radio Personalities Isacc Ropp and "Big Suke" AKA Jason Scukanec to talk about CTE, the Death of Junior Seau, and the dangers that lie ahead for Football; particularly Youth Football.  Please take the time to watch this and share it with your families and friends. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: CTE, Education, Happening Now, NFL Stuff Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Girl’s At Greater Risk For Concussions Impacts

May 12, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Tracy Yatsko has been featured on the CDC Heads Up For Concussion Videos and has been a public speaker and lobbyist at many events

There is some new research out of Michigan State University that has now confimred what we have been saying and working for here at Atalanta's Pride.  The Study reveals female athletes take longer to recover from concussions, findings that call for physicians and athletic trainers to take sex and age into account when dealing with the injury. The study was led by Tracey Covassin of MSU's Department of Kinesiology.  In their research they found females performed worse than males on visual memory tests and reported more symptoms postconcussion. In an interesting finding high school athletes performed worse than college athletes on verbal and visual memory tests. The study tested young athletes for balance and verbal and visual memory. Researchers tracked the athletes for two years. In that time 300 of the athletes received a concussion and were tested again. Results showed that high school athletes performed worse for their age than college-aged athletes. Relevant to young … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Concussions: Girls Sports Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Extending The Mission We Turn To A Mobile Classroom

January 18, 2012 By 2 Comments
BrainChampions.org is Building an educational bus to take out on educational trips

At BrainChampions.org we don't spend a lot of time sitting around.  This year was a busy one where we spoke at several classrooms and and 6 Camps where the message was taken to hundreds of Coaches and kids. We started Atalanta's Pride with Tracy Yatsko even while the amazing young woman from Pennsylvania took on the lobbying of a Statewide Concussion reform bill.  And in Oregon Ally Wallace went after the Coaching community in Portland and gained National attention as she got mandatory imPACT Baseline Concussion testing pushed through. Our ability to help is only funded by our time and resources.  Up until now BrainChampions.org has been funded by our founder.  Now we ask for your assistance in completing our mobile classroom project that we call "Building The Bus".  This vehicle had a glorious career as a custom shuttle bus before being bought and used as a Indie Band Bus where it earned its nick-name Bus Van Sant. Now we need your help to get Bus Van Sant back on … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Education, Happening Now, Research and Studies, Youth Football Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Field Shock Absorber May Add Protections

January 12, 2012 By 1 Comment
"Bull in the ring" is a drill almost as old as football.

Brock International Prevents Sports Concussions From the Ground Up As the increase in sports concussions raises a debate about the need for specialized helmets or harsher penalties on players who tackle above the neck, Brock International prevents concussions by starting with the playing field itself. ShareThis Email PDF Print Boulder, CO (PRWEB) January 12, 2012 According to recent statistics reported by the Centers for Disease Control, emergency room visits for sports- and recreation-related Traumatic Brain Injuries, including concussions, has increased among youth by 60% during the past decade. While parents, organizations, coaches and athletes debate the need for specialized helmets or harsher penalties on players who tackle above the neck, Brock International prevents concussions by starting with the playing field itself. “More comprehensive education, better technique and treatment immediately following traumatic brain injuries is essential,” … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Technology

New Device Holds Promise That Tech May Help

January 12, 2012 By Leave a Comment

FDA NEWS RELEASE For Immediate Release: Dec. 13, 2011 Media Inquiries: Erica Jefferson, 301-796-4988, erica.jefferson@fda.hhs.gov Consumer Inquiries: 888-INFO-FDA FDA permits marketing of the first hand-held device to aid in the detection of bleeding in the skull Helps to determine if immediate CT scan is needed The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today allowed marketing of the first hand-held device intended to aid in the detection of life-threatening bleeding in the skull called intracranial hematomas, using near-infrared spectroscopy. The device, called the Infrascanner Model 1000, can help health care providers identify patients with critical head injuries who need an immediate brain imaging study. Intracranial hematomas occur when blood from a ruptured blood vessel collects within the brain or between the skull and the brain. As blood expands within the brain or in the narrow space between the brain and the skull, the brain becomes compressed. This can produce … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Happening Now, Research and Studies, Technology Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Remembering The Fallen: Help Us Help Them

November 29, 2011 By Leave a Comment

November 24, 2011 Dirk Knudsen WashingtonPreps.com Editor Talk about it in The Grid Iron Dirk Knudsen; Washingtonpreps.com       Today before you feast and enjoy the family and friends your with I want you to do me a favor.  Before you watch your favorite team go to war I want you to do something you may have never ever done but I promise it won't hurt. I want you to say a little pray for the fallen. The young boys who have given their lives in pursuit of a game that we Americans just can not get enough of.  And I want you to say a prayer for the guys your watching out on that field.  Because some of them are killing themselves right now so you can enjoy your day. Many of the players you watch have had or will have both short and long term disability from the game they are playing.  Some of them will die of complications from CTE which is a newly confirmed brain disease caused by the game of football. Now … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Education, Happening Now, Meet Our Founders

The End Of The Road Is Just Ahead

October 19, 2011 By 4 Comments
grant ambulance

There are few people reading this by now that do not know of the crisis facing this great game of ours.  This game, this killer of men and breaker of spirits, which so many millions love and celebrate every week in America.  Our youth are dying and our Heroes falling and yet do we say anything?  Or do we just smirk and write it off to bad luck.  It didn't happen to you right?  Not your kid.  Not your problem. But across America as the injuries mount and the death toll rises more and more fans and parents are crying out for change.  Because for those of us paying attention we must realize that this killer that is running wild in the game of football has come to our youth fields and our  Main Streets and our NFL Stadiums.  The Concussion and Brain Trauma Monster is ours...all of ours. The body count and number of broken men and boys is rising daily.  Concussion's and Traumatic Brain Injury suffered on and the practice field and during games seem to visit every region of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Concussion Rules and Laws, Education, Happening Now, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

16 Year Old Dies In New York After Football Head Trauma

October 19, 2011 By 1 Comment

It has happened again.  And again we pray.  This time  for the family and community where 16 year old Ridge Barden was a student Athlete.  Where he suffered a tragic end due to a helmet to helmet blow. ________________________________________________________ Authorities say a 16-year-old high school football player who died after collapsing during a game suffered bleeding on his brain, apparently from a helmet-to-helmet collision. Cortland County Coroner Kevin Sharp says Ridge Barden died from a massive subdural hematoma, a traumatic brain injury. The lineman for John C. Birdlebough High School in the Oswego County village of Phoenix was hurt during Friday night's game at Homer High School, south of Syracuse. Authorities say he was able to sit up after the play but complained of a headache and collapsed when he tried to stand. Sharp says there's no evidence of any pre-existing injury or condition that contributed to Barden's death. He says the fatal injury was … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Education, Happening Now, Second Impact Syndrome Tagged With: , , , ,
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