Education | BrainChampions.org

Hawaii Athletic Trainer Speaks Volumes About Concussion Protocols

October 24, 2012 By Dirk Knudsen 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: CTE, Death and Football, football, Hawaii, Standards of Care, traumatic brain injury

New York FINALLY Get With the Program

July 5, 2012 By Dirk Knudsen 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 Dirk Knudsen 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: brain, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, CTE, dangers, Trauma, traumatic brain injury, youth football

Extending The Mission We Turn To A Mobile Classroom

January 18, 2012 By Dirk Knudsen 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: Andrew, Bobby, brain, breckenridge, Building, Bus, champions, Clark, classroom, coaches, concussion, Death, disability, Drew, dylan, education, football, head, high, Idaho, injury, kort, legacy, Lystedt, Matthew, mobile, Newman, NFL, oregon, school, second impact death syndrome, setigers, sports, Swank, The, Trauma, traumatic, washington, youth, Zachary

Remembering The Fallen: Help Us Help Them

November 29, 2011 By Dirk Knudsen 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 Dirk Knudsen 4 Comments

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: brain champions, coma, concussion, Death, Drew Swank, football, grant taylor, high school, junior nuku, Lystedt, matthew newman, Medical, NFL, oregon, ridge barden, Second Impact Syndrome, washington

16 Year Old Dies In New York After Football Head Trauma

October 19, 2011 By Dirk Knudsen 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: Barden, concussion, Death, injury, Ridge

The End Of Football As We Know It Is Near

October 18, 2011 By Dirk Knudsen Leave a Comment

September 22, 2011 Dirk Knudsen WashingtonPreps.com Editor Talk about it in The Grid Iron The End Of The Game As We Know It I will never forget September 27th, 2009 because it was a day that changed my life. And it was a day that will be a part of a much bigger story. A story that will change the way we play the most beloved game in this great Country of ours. It was a day that we lost one of the great young men in America and it was our fault. All of our fault. That was the day that Valley Christian High School student-athlete Andrew "Drew" Swank who was #15 died having lost his life to Second Impact Syndrome; a direct result of him playing in a High School football game with a severe concussion he recieved a week prior and there is little debate over the fact that many of those involved knew he was hurt. But Drew was cleared to play and was hit again and again that Friday night. He took a fatal blow in the game and as his brain swelled … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Concussion Rules and Laws, Education, Uncategorized, Youth Football Tagged With: Barden, Bobby, Clark, concussion, Death, Drew, Helmet to helmet, Matthew, Newman, Ridge, Swank, TBI

Brain Champions Team 7:15 Makes Big Impact

August 4, 2011 By Dirk Knudsen Leave a Comment

ALOHA, Ore. - About 150 high school football players looking to make that next big step to college ball took to the field during a Friday night football camp, but they were also reminded about the danger of concussions from a man who barely survived permanent brain damage. Max Conradt spoke to the players about what could happen if concussions aren't taken seriously. His story is a reality check for players who think they're invincible, but the reality is students die from concussions. School districts around Oregon and Washington are taking steps to take the injury more seriously, but Conradt says high school players need to do the same. Some of those high school players at the camp were 14 years old while others were a few years older. Many have dreams of college scholarships, national championships and even the NFL. While watching them practice, Conradt remembers his time as a football player. "I was MVP quarterback and defensive end," he says. Ten years ago he was … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Concussion Rules and Laws, Education, Meet Our Founders, Second Impact Syndrome, Youth Football Tagged With: 7:15, brain, champions, concussion, conradt, Death, dirk, football, knudsen, konner, Matthew, max, Newman, Second Impact Syndrome, TBI, team

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