Dirk Knudsen | BrainChampions.org

BrainChampions Applauds Dicks and Project PACE

August 2, 2011 By Dirk Knudsen Leave a Comment

ImPACT and Dicks Sporting Goods are bringing One Million tests to Kids at No Charge!

We worked very hard in the past two years and spread the word and helped with all we could to make this happen. Now through our friends at ImPACT and the dedication and commitment of our groups and Dicks Sporting Goods One Million athletes are going to get tested with ImPACT. This is American Corporate work at its best! Dicks gets it and understands that kids need to be protected. Thanks to all the guys and gals at ImPACT, Doctors Mark Lovell and Micky Collins and their staff.... and for sure Thanks to Dicks Sporting Goods! … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Research and Studies, Uncategorized Tagged With: Baseline, concussion, Dick's Sporting Goods, Impact, Testing

Football Injuries Top Trauma-Related Deaths Among Young Athletes

July 5, 2011 By Dirk Knudsen Leave a Comment

Head and Neck Injuries Cause Death on The Football Field

Another study has been released and to no surprise it finds alarming statistics when it comes to the injury and death of high school football players. BrainChampions.org was the first group to cry out for help some three years ago on the issue of Second Impact Syndrome related deaths and permanent impairments. Now in this study Dr. Barry Maron among others are linking these and other neck and head injuries to significant trends that show that more and more High School football players are playing in the Danger Zone. A key finding, author Dr. Barry Maron said in an interview, was a worrisome number of prep football players who died of head and neck blows after they had already sustained concussions a few days to four weeks beforehand. Maron said it comes at a time of growing awareness about concussions, including the dangers of “second-impact syndrome.” Story is here: … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Education, Research and Studies, Second Impact Syndrome Tagged With: brain, brain injury, concussion, Death, football, High School Football, Impact, Medical, NCAA, NFL, Second Impact Syndrome, traumatic brain injury, youth football

Sally Showman’s Coverage of BrainChampions Families An Emmy Winner

June 17, 2011 By Dirk Knudsen Leave a Comment

KXLY TV Reporter Sally Showman was the first person to report on the tragic death of Drew Swank and the death of Dylan Steigers. Her compassionate work came out as one of the best evening news pieces done on the subject. Both of these young men's families are in our founding group. Now word comes that Sally has won an EMMY for one of her stories about Drew Swank. Sally is a special reporter and deserves the Emmy as this work was very moving. You all should watch it... and consider Drew and his death from a football injury as well as the Impact his organ donation had on the lives of so many. Here is the award winning work by Sally! … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Meet Our Founders, Second Impact Syndrome Tagged With: concussion, Death, Donation, Drew, Emmy, football, Organ, Sally, Showman, Swank, TBI

New York Concussion Law Not Even a Good Start

June 17, 2011 By Dirk Knudsen Leave a Comment

A new law in New York is up for a final consideration by Governor Andrew Cuomo. Under the bill, students who got concussions would be removed immediately from athletic activities. They would not be able to return until they were without symptoms for at least 24 hours and received authorization from a physician. 24 hours? Really? When all the best research is now indicating weeks if not months of rest is required. And this Bill does not protect the hundreds of thousands of Youth Athletes who participate in Youth and Club sports every day. There is also no provisions for what type of medical professional can clear an injured athlete. Michael Kaplen who is one of the preminent Brain Injury Lawyers in the country said he doesn't think the legislation goes far enough. Kaplen, chairman of the state Traumatic Brain Injury Services Coordinating Council and past president of the Brain Injury Association, said the physician who gives clearance for an athlete to return to play … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Concussion Rules and Laws Tagged With: brain, concussion, Death, education, Impact, law, Legislation, Medical, Newy, TBI, traumatic brain injury, York

Baseline Concussion Testing Questioned; But Who is Behind This

June 12, 2011 By Dirk Knudsen Leave a Comment

Recently a single article was published in one paper and then later picked up by USA Today. So of course we were interested in this. Being believers in the use of Neuro-Cognitive Baseline test as a vital and mandatory tool in the overall battle to stem concussion and TBI in youth sports we obviously are interested in anyone who has a valid point against their use. In a recent write up by Doctor Christopher Randolph of Loyola University he questions the validity of such tests and is most concerned about false negative reports. From http://health.usnews.com/health-news/family-health/brain-and-behavior/articles/2011/06/11/validity-of-baseline-concussion-tests-questioned The tests, which are mandatory for hundreds of thousands of amateur and professional athletes in the United States, have a high "false negative" rate, according to Christopher Randolph, a neuropsychologist at Loyola University Health System. A false negative result means the test shows an athlete has … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Research and Studies, Second Impact Syndrome, Technology Tagged With: brain, christopher, concussion, Death, dimentia, football, Impact, injury, loyola, randolph, sports, traumatic

Football’s Survivors Can Not Be Stopped

June 10, 2011 By Dirk Knudsen Leave a Comment

June 9, 2011 Dirk Knudsen WashingtonPreps.com Editor Dirk Knudsen; Washingtonpreps.com Randy Newman with his son Matthew Celebrate life at a Seahawks Game 1 1/2 years after Newman nearly lost his life This week two very special young men will graduate from their respective High Schools in Washington State. Albeit both of them are late in doing so and not the same young men that they were when they started out. Thye are much stronger then anyone could have ever dreamed. It will be with a full heart that those paying attention will witness Zackery Lystedt and Matthew Newman cross the podium to receive their diploma tomorrow. For Lystedt he will graduate after 5 grueling years of dealing with the damage left in the wake of a severe brain injury he received as a youth football player in the Tahoma school district. But he will make it and if all goes … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Education, Meet Our Founders, Second Impact Syndrome, Youth Football Tagged With: Andrew, concussion, Death, Drew, football, Impact, injury, Lystedt, Matthew, Newman, Second, Swank, Syndrome, Zackery

Illinois Gets Ready to Add Concussion Law Before 2011 Season

June 2, 2011 By Dirk Knudsen Leave a Comment

The State of Illinois is close to enacting their version of a Concussion Education and Prevention Bill. The only thing needed to polish off House Bill 200 is the signature of Governor Patt Quinn. The bill, if passed, "would make it mandatory for all school boards in the state to work with the Illinois High School Association to develop clear guidelines to educate coaches, student athletes and their parents." These measures include, but aren't limited to, forcing all school boards to enact and enforce policy regarding concussions; including information about concussions and policies about them in any form or waiver pertaining to youth athletics which requires a parent or guardian's signature; and making educational materials about concussions available to all school districts. With the support of the Chicago Bears the State is taking a step in the right direction. Hopefully this gets done the right way for youth athletes in the State. A little more on the story is … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Concussion Rules and Laws Tagged With: 200, Bill, brain, concussion, football, House, Illinois, injuries, laws, Reform

Alaska Passes Concussion Law: Great Work Up North

May 29, 2011 By Dirk Knudsen Leave a Comment

Alaska Passes Senate Bill 15 and Protects Injured Athletes from returning too soon

This week our friends up North in Alaska passed a Bill for protection of their athletes who compete in High School. It was not the most comprehensive law but a good start. We realize that sweeping changes often come slowly. While we would prefer a law like Washington State's that protects youth athletes who compete outside of a school setting this is a start. FAIRBANKS — Gov. Sean Parnell signed a bill Friday to protect student-athletes from serious brain injuries resulting from multiple concussions. House Bill 15, sponsored by Rep. Mike Doogan (D-Anchorage), requires that a student with a suspected concussion be removed from play or practice and not return until cleared by a qualified medical professional. “This was a difficult sessions in a lot of ways,” Doogan said in a press release, “but we did manage to do some good work, and this bill is part of that. It will help keep kids healthy and safe. Other issues got a lot of attention, but I can’t think of too … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Concussion Rules and Laws Tagged With: 15, Alaska, athletes, Bill, concussion, football, high, laws, Medical, professional, return to play, safety, school, Senate

The Great Jim (James) Brown Say it All; The NCAA and NFL Are Hurting Players

May 27, 2011 By Dirk Knudsen Leave a Comment

The Great NFL Running back is known for telling it like it is. That is something not to many people will do anymore. Today he went public and came out against the NFL and in fact the NCAA for using their players as fodder for a money making machine. This is something we at BrainChampions.org have been clear on. Football is a great sport full of risks and rewards. But the facts are that the Billions of dollars being made are all going to our NFL owners, their stock holders, and the NCAA. Not much of that is actually making it to the guys that are giving up their bodies so that we can all enjoy it. Our Nation is fanatical about the sport. We know all about the "Assumption of Risk" theory that people are quick to quote about the fact that those who play know what they are getting into. That does not apply to kids 18 and under. That is why we focus all our attentions there. Having said that we realize that the kids who leave High School and move on to college … [Read more...]

Filed Under: NFL Stuff Tagged With: Amateur, brain injury, Brown, concussion, Death, Emmert, football, high, Insurance, James, Medical, NCAA, NFL, school

Tracy Yatsko Joins BrainChampions In Girls Concussion Effort

May 26, 2011 By Dirk Knudsen Leave a Comment

Tracy Yatsko is someone you would never guess suffers debilitating effects of her youth sports Traumatic Brain Injury.

We are so pleased that we added a new member to our growing family of founders who have been personally hurt and forever changed as a result of concussion and traumatic brain injury they suffered while pursuing their sport. Tracy will be working with our Director Dirk Knudsen to develop a hard hitting educational program for Girls in Youth Sports; a press release is coming soon. For now it is enough to know that this is the First project of its kind and will be a terrific and much needed effort. Here is Tracy in one of the best 2 Minute films on Concussion that you will ever see. Listen to her story here. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Concussions: Girls Sports, Education, Meet Our Founders Tagged With: advocacy, Atalanta's Pride, BrainChampions, CDC, concussion, education, Girls, law, Tracy, Traumatic Brain Injuries, traumatic brain injury, Yatsko, Youth Sports