Concussion | BrainChampions.org

Girl’s At Greater Risk For Concussions Impacts

May 12, 2012 By Dirk Knudsen 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: brain, concussion, Girls, high, injury, Issues, Michigan, Recovery, school, sports, study, Symptoms, traumatic, youth

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

New Device Holds Promise That Tech May Help

January 12, 2012 By Dirk Knudsen 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: bleeding, brain, concussion, Impact, infra, infrascan, Infrascanner, model 1000, scan, Second, Second Impact Syndrome

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

Idaho Athlete Bobby Clark Lies In A Coma

October 6, 2011 By Dirk Knudsen 2 Comments

We are so very saddened to bring you news of yet another injury. This time it is Priest River High Schools Bobby Clark who is struggling to survive as I write this. This from swxrightnow.com in Idaho: Bobby Clark, the football player from Priest River High School who was airlifted out of the stadium last Friday night, was still in critical condition as of Tuesday morning. Those close to the family said Clark was still in a medically-induced coma so doctors could reduce swelling around his brain. Also on Tuesday morning, a member of the school board in Priest River said they have serious reservations considering the news that more than a dozen players on the team have suffered concussions this year. That board member said they would consider moving to cancel the rest of the football season if the trend of concussions didn't improve on the team. Mike McGuire, superintendent of the West Bonner School District, said Monday the injuries are a combination of Priest … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Happening Now, Youth Football Tagged With: Bobby, brain, Clark, concussion, high, Idaho, injury, Priest, River, school, Trauma

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

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