Football | 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

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

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

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

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

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