Posted: January 8, 2018

A world-champion athlete who started competing for the USA Bobsled team in 2007, Meyers Taylor medaled in the last two Olympics—bronze in Vancouver in 2010 and silver in Sochi in 2014. But her bobsledding career was derailed by a concussion in 2015.

At the fourth World Cup race of the 2014-15 season in Koenigssee, Germany, Meyers Taylor and brakewoman Cherrelle Garrett crashed during their second run. They finished the race, but the impact left Meyers Taylor with a concussion.

Doctors cleared Meyers Taylor to race just four days later, but she knew something wasn’t right. “I felt OK, but my memory and concentration were off,” she told ESPNW a year after the incident. “I relied on my feel as a driver in the days and weeks ahead, though — and I won a world championship title less than a month after that high-speed crash. My concussion worries were behind me, or so I thought.”

Meyers Taylor received treatment in the offseason, but her drive and determination to compete led her to push through concussion symptoms again. “When I got back to sliding in October, my reactions were slow and my practice runs shaky. I took another knock to the head in November during a World Cup stop in Altenberg, Germany — one of the toughest tracks in the world — and then the headaches returned.”

She was forced to drop out of the World Cup to recover.

“I was devastated. There was nothing I wanted more than to slide down that hill. When that opportunity is taken away, it feels like your heart is being ripped out. I thought my season might be over — and maybe even my career. I’m a world-champion athlete, sidelined by an invisible injury.”

Meyers Taylor now looks at concussions and recovery differently. “If I’m tired or something doesn’t feel right, I make sure not to go again. It’s too dangerous to push through it.”

After learning the importance of proper rest and treatment for concussions firsthand, Meyers Taylor is healthy and as competitive as ever. Meyers Taylor earned three silver and two bronze medals already at the first five of eight 2017-18 IBSF Bobsleigh World Cup races leading up to the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang.

Follow Meyers Taylor on Twitter or Facebook.

Posted: September 5, 2017

In 2016, the Concussion Legacy Foundation launched Team Up Speak Up, which encourages coaches to ask their athletes to Speak Up if they think a teammate may have a concussion. Understanding that athletes often cannot recognize when they have a concussion, or feel pressure to stay in the game, the goal of the program is to change the culture around concussions and help athletes play more safely.

Mack Gentry, a junior from Justin-Siena High School in Napa, California, was nominated by his athletic trainer Sarah Merkel for Speaking Up for his teammate on the football field last season.

Mack has played safety for the Justin-Siena Braves for the past two years, but he was sidelined during the 2016 season by a broken collarbone. Nonetheless, his commitment to the Braves football team remained resolute, and he was on the sideline of every game and practice, supporting his teammates.

It was during a very competitive home game that Mack put Team Up Speak Up into action. During a time-out, Mack saw that one of his teammates looked distressed. “He came out and it looked like he had been crying,” Mack said. “He said that he might have a concussion but he didn’t want anyone to know because he wanted to keep playing.” Even though his teammate wanted to stay in the game, Mack knows that concussions are too dangerous to hide. He approached the athletic trainer and told her what he saw. The athletic trainer immediately pulled the player, put him through the sideline protocol, and discovered he did, in fact, have a concussion. By looking out for his teammate, Mack may have saved him from being hurt much worse.

Mack knew that in the heat of the moment his teammate might get upset with him for telling the trainer, but he also knew that it was too risky to let him go back into the game without being evaluated for a concussion. “He was kind of mad at first because he wanted to go back in and wanted to play,” Mack said. “I think we were losing that game. But after a couple of days he realized, ‘Oh wait he did that for my safety’ and he said, ‘well, thank you.’”

“Mack is the definition of a spirited, loyal teammate,” said Merkel, who noted that younger players often “disappear” from practices after an injury, only showing up as support for home games. “But not Mack. He was at every lifting session, practice, and game, home or away, and it paid off for his teammate.”

Mack’s exemplary action revealed the critical role teammates play in diagnosing concussions.  His team participates in the Team Up Speak Up program, the centerpiece of which is Team Up Speak Up Day, an annual nationwide event with the goal of getting as many athletes as possible to hear one simple speech. The message is clear:

1. We’re a team and we look out for each other.
2. A teammate with a concussion needs your help.
3. I expect you to speak up to a coach or athletic trainer if you think a teammate might have a concussion.

The speech originally comes from Harvard University Football Coach Bill Reid’s diary of the 1905 season, in which Reid records the team doctor’s annual safety lecture. The doctor emphasized that teammates must look out for one another on the field, and stop the game if someone is hit in the head.

This speech, lost to history for more than 100 years, demonstrates the core message behind Team Up Speak Up Day. A person of authority must instruct their athletes on the dangers of concussions and emphasize that athletes have a responsibility to report concussion symptoms in a teammate. Otherwise, many players might still believe they are being a good teammate by covering for an athlete with a concussion. Players need to know that no matter how big the game is, the risk of playing with a concussion is always bigger.

Posted: May 31, 2017

We’re grateful to Kaila for being one of our most active Champions and for supporting our Chicago branch of the Team Up Against Concussions education program, which teaches elementary-aged kids what a concussion is, and why they should care about it.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how you became a CLF Champion?

I’m originally from Cleveland and I went to undergrad at DePaul University, which is a partner with the Concussion Legacy Foundation. There was a group on campus that took a bunch of us from the science department (I majored in Biology) to help run Team Up, and that’s how I got introduced to the Foundation. We went to different schools and gave a concussion presentation to kids in grades 4-12. It was just a great experience. I got to meet Chris Nowinski which was really cool, and I got insight into the whole organization and saw the forefront of it all. It made me continue to want to get involved with this organization so when I moved back to Cleveland after college I became a Champion for you guys and did phone calls for the telephone database welcoming new Champions.

I started a research job last year but I’m still involved and doing as much volunteering as possible. It is such an awesome organization and you meet amazing people.

Your father Cardell Parker played in the NFL. Did that affect your decision to volunteer for the Concussion Legacy Foundation?

My dad played for the Detroit Lions in the 70’s. He was about to be traded to the Cleveland Browns, but tore both of his ACL’s in the same game. It was a career-ending game for him, but I think it was a blessing in disguise. My dad is a pretty big driving factor in why I connected so well with CLF. He’s an awesome guy and an even better father, but he has a lot of cognitive issues from dedicating the larger portion of his life to football. He’s taken this, though, and put it to good use as a little league football coach. He’s the coach who really stresses having fun and being safe over winning. Being a part of CLF has helped me further connect with him in advocating for an important issue and recognizing the need for something to change.

What is the most rewarding part about being a Champion for the Foundation?

The most rewarding thing for me is getting to know the normal people who might have an everyday experience where they become affected by head trauma. Being able to listen to people’s stories and let them know that I understand them and that this organization is there for them was really rewarding. Especially listening to people flip a switch and realize how serious this is and why it’s important to be aware and help spread the word to other people that this is just not a bump on the head…it’s a concussion. It felt great hearing how awesome and thrilled people became saying, ‘yeah I can totally relate and want to help!’

Being a Champion was a great experience because you never really know how many people are affected by concussions and traumatic brain injuries, even outside of sports. There was a surprising amount of moms and dads who were setting up a swing set for their kids and the swing set would fall on their head and give them a concussion and they wouldn’t really know the repercussions of it. There were also a lot of people who were just very interested in getting involved with the organization. It was nice to touch base with everyday people who were so interested.

Which of the Foundation’s events or campaigns is most meaningful to you?

I would say Team Up Against Concussions is the most meaningful to me. I loved listening to people’s stories, but I think impacting the younger generation is what really hit home with me. I love kids (I babysit quite a lot) and I really connect with children. So presenting Team Up even to kids who are not on a sports team but have a friend or cousin on one, and seeing them fully comprehend how important this is felt like it really mattered. With so many kids being active and involved in sports, being able to spread the word at such a young age is so impactful. It’s kind of inspirational to know that you made a difference like that.

What would you say to someone thinking about becoming a Champion?

Do it. I would say especially for college students who want to be involved with an organization. Even if you don’t really think it applies to you, it probably does. The time commitment can be as big as you want it to be and the time that you do put into this organization and making yourself involved is so meaningful at a young age.

If you’re applying for grad school or for jobs, everyone wants to be able to say that ‘I changed the world’ or ‘I made a difference’ and this is a perfect organization to do that for the resume. But also just to make yourself feel good and know that you’re impacting a significantly large community in need that most people don’t know exists.

Interested in becoming a Champion? You can learn more or sign up here.

Posted: September 26, 2016

On October 19^th, I will be one of ten Westchester County teens to be presented with the Milly Kibrick Youth Service Award for my work with concussions. I am so honored to be recognized for my advocacy work with concussions, but frankly, I never thought I would be an advocate for concussions in high school; I thought I would be a football player.

In my freshman year, I suffered a major concussion. I assumed I would bounce right back as I did from the one other concussion I had sustained. I figured I would rest for a day or two and then I would be fine. I thought I would be better in no time. I was wrong. It took me more than two full months before I could return to school and just over a year for my brain to fully heal.

When sophomore year came around, I was sick of concussions. My freshman year had been all about my concussion and I was aching to finally return to normal life and forget this injury ever happened. But I found myself thinking about my injury more than ever before: how frustrated I felt when every doctor I went to told me the same thing about staying in a dark room and just giving my brain “the time it needs to heal”; how each day I would wake up filled with false hope about this finally being the day my headache would go away; how no one at school really knew how to handle my long absence or my impaired cognitive abilities. I knew something needed to be done.

So I contacted the Concussion Legacy Foundation, hoping they would let me join their mission to help educate athletes and their families on concussions and Post Concussion Syndrome (PCS). Even though their Ambassador program wasn’t off the ground yet and they don’t often work with high school students, I was able to get my foot in the door and start a fundraising campaign for concussion research. After many hours spent over the course of several months calling friends and family, and through creative ideas like a March Madness bracket to raise money, when all was said and done I had raised over $10,000 for concussion research. I also had proudly earned the title of CLF High School Ambassador. In addition, co-founder and CEO Chris Nowinski agreed to come to my school and speak to and further educate the physical education staff, nurses, and varsity coaches on concussions.

Chris’s visit was amazing, but I wanted to do more. I felt I had just scratched the surface on what I could do to raise awareness about concussions and PCS. So Chris put me in contact with Dr. Mark Herceg, Commissioner of Mental Health in Westchester County. After hearing my story, Dr. Herceg offered me a chance to share it on a bigger stage. He invited me to be a part of the Westchester County Concussion Task Force and to come speak at a press conference unveiling the task force’s “Ten Best Practices for Concussion Management.” I spoke to the press about how my life was changed from concussions. I explained how the Ten Best Practices would have benefitted me. People need to be educated on concussions to provide support and understanding. The story was featured that night on several local news outlets.

After hearing me speak at the press conference, Eileen Reardon, executive director of the Brain Injury Association of New York, invited me to present at their first ever Advocacy Day in the state capital, Albany. There I once again shared my story, this time in front of a group of New York State Senators and Assemblymen. I now had the attention of people who could help promote education and awareness of concussions and PCS on a larger scale than I ever could have imagined. I am honored to been a part of the fight to promote legislation that would help Traumatic Brain Injury victims.

Looking back on all I have accomplished in the last three years, I am proud of who I have become and the work I have done. I never thought that reaching out to CLF would eventually lead me to an official Westchester County press event, let alone a podium in the lobby of the New York Legislature, but I’m glad it did. Though I never set out to be, as one reporter called, the “poster-boy for concussions in Westchester,” I would not trade the title for the world.

It is difficult to think of the day I got my concussion, mostly because I don’t remember much of it. I have been told that my teammate Ben brought me off the field when he sensed something was wrong with me. He said I was slumped over in my stance, wobbling back and forth, and looked asleep. I am thankful that I was lucky enough to have had someone looking out for me on the field that day. It’s scary to think about how much worse my injury could have had my teammate not been there. That is why I was so proud to be a part of Team Up Day and to bring it to my school. I feel very connected to this initiative and know it can help a lot of people. With over 44 million youth athletes in America, it is important for them all to know they have someone else looking out for them. Athletes have a responsibility as teammates to help each other in their times of need. Let’s all Team Up and Speak Up to fight concussions!

Posted: January 26, 2016

The next couple of days were painful and confusing. Days slowly turned into months, and months into years. I took significant time off from school to sit in a dark room. It was a year before I found a couple of pain-free days. Two years before I could sit in direct sunlight. Three years before I was able to successfully drive again. Four years before I was able to spend some time on a computer. Last year was the first I could watch the Rangers play on TV without inducing a migraine.

Six years is a significant marker for me, as I have finally come to terms with the reality that my life will never be the same as it was before the concussion. After all, it takes a long time to break the habits we create when we commit to being an athlete. Before my concussion, I defined myself by the limits to which I could push my body. I was raised to work through those things that are difficult. When stressed out with school, I would run sprints on the track. When I was sick and couldn’t breathe out of my nose, the best thing to do was to sweat it out on a long run. In hindsight, it is no surprise that after I got hit, my mind consistently thought that all I needed was a good set of sprints to get my head back in the game. In my new concussed world, however, my body would continue to remind me that this was flawed logic when you’ve injured your brain. Inevitably this is one of the reasons athletes return too quickly after getting knocked in the melon: for many, to be active is healthy. For us, in order to be healthy, we must be active.

After two years of trying to find balance within the limits of my concussion, I was fed up, depressed, and desperate for a change. Everything seemed to trigger migraines, and I felt numb to the world around me. When I told my college advisor that I was going to drop out of school, she urged me to look instead to alternative academic options.

A month later, I was sitting in a canoe with a duffel bag.

I would spend the next three months in a secluded yurt village, Arcadia, in the Adirondack Park with eleven other students, two assistant directors and a yellow lab. In the absence of technology and running water, together we learned the value in a materially simple life. We spent every meal around a large wooden table in the only permanent structure at Arcadia, eating locally sourced food that we had cooked for one another. The discussions around that table were limitless. Every weekday, a professor from school would drive into the Adirondacks, hike a mile into the woods, and paddle across Lake Massawepie to spend the day outside with us. In the absence of computers and phones, our learning came directly from the environment that we were embedded in.

Two weeks after paddling across Lake Massawepie and settling into my new home at Arcadia, my concussive symptoms were essentially eliminated. In this new life where you had to haul and treat your water before drinking it, stimulation came from conversations, sleep cycles mirrored that of the sun, and contrary to ordinary life, multitasking only led to mistakes. My migraines were depleted; I noticed a phenomenal increase in attention span; I slept well and no longer felt foggy. But most importantly of all, I was happy. I was disburdened from my concussive state, free to re-create my new self.

The hardest part about my experience in the Adirondacks was leaving it. There is no question that the Adirondack Semester allowed me the opportunity to take a long deep breath during a time in my life when I needed one more than anything. But life in the stimulating world we live in is not easy after a Traumatic Brain Injury. As I returned back to the demands of everyday life, my daily migraines, cloudiness, fatigue and vertigo returned alongside me. My head was on complete sensory overload, and I had a very hard time adjusting.

After a few months of a deep depression, a game of drugs, and my first positive visit with a doctor, I slowly began to turn a corner as I learned to look again toward the small steps, just as I had done so intentionally when living in the woods. I began to view my body as an energy bank. For it to be full, I needed to make sure I got enough sleep, kept my blood sugar up, and made the space to spend time in an environment isolated from too much stimulation. Certain activities would deplete my energy bank quicker than others, and to keep myself healthy, I couldn’t let that bank fall too low or too rapidly.

Today, six years later, I am no longer sitting alone in a dark room, and for that I cannot complain much. Although I still have persistent migraines, many of which are induced by failed attempts to work out, I have been able to carve out a place for myself in this world. Over time, I have allowed myself to slow down, find successes in the small steps, and form new relationships on values that are meaningful. Although I am oftentimes still frustrated, I no longer feel lost.

Posted: January 12, 2016

Concussion Legacy Foundation Champion Chris O’Connor spoke to Brooke about her story and her message to others.

What was the first example of cognitive impairment that you can remember after the concussion? How did it make you feel?

After having my concussion, I found myself falling asleep in class. This wasn’t like me at all. I’ve always been a good student. I also had a really hard time focusing in class and remembering things. I felt scared and it made me realize that this concussion was serious. I felt overwhelmed in school and in life in general due to my cognitive impairments.

How did your concussion impact your academic life?

I had to study more and harder. Homework took me twice as long, writing essays took me twice as long. I’m constantly staying after class with the teacher to be sure I have all of the due dates of projects and the dates of tests written down, because I know I won’t remember them. I’ve had to learn new study habits and have been lucky to have the help of my Spanish tutor to show me new methods of memorization and learning. For the first year following my concussion, my grades suffered. It’s been almost two years since my injury and my grades are finally back to where they were before my concussion, but it still takes more effort than before to achieve an “A”.

Brooke met Concussion Legacy Foundation Executive Director Chris Nowinski at the organization’s 8th Annual Impact Awards in November, 2015.

Do you have any suggestions for your peers about concussions, specifically for those recently diagnosed, or for friends of people experiencing symptoms?

I recommend avoiding getting a concussion!  But if it happens to you, notify every teacher about your injury so they can understand what is going on with you. Talk to your school nurse and guidance counselor to have academic accommodations made and a return-to-learn plan put in place. It’s important to realize that using your brain in academics is stressful to your injured brain and can worsen your symptoms or slow your recovery. Your coach will keep you off the field until you’re cleared and ready to return to sports play, but I’ve found that when it comes to academics you need to speak up for yourself to get help.

Are there any particular activities that have helped with your symptoms?

Sleep helps a lot. I’ve found my symptoms are worse when I don’t stay rested. Even almost two years after the impact, I still have triggers of post-concussion symptoms. Running, jumping and dance class still cause headaches for me, as does bright light or flashing lights. Long school days followed by a lot of homework also causes me to have a headache. It’s frustrating not to be able to do the some of the things that I enjoyed before my concussion.

Why are you passionate about promoting education and awareness about TBI?

I’m passionate because I see it as a rising crisis for kids my age, whether the head trauma comes from sports, a car accident or a fall, teens are at risk. It seems like most of America isn’t aware of what a concussion is and how to deal with it. If everyone were more educated about TBI, then we could be more supportive of people around us who are suffering from a brain injury. When I first suffered my concussion some classmates doubted my injury, thought it wasn’t a big deal or had a concussion of their own and didn’t think much of it. No one should be made to feel like they are being dramatic or faking their injury. I want to educate teens and adults so they can be more understanding and know what to do if someone they care about suffers a TBI.

____________________

The following segment is from Brooke’s website, http://www.lessentheimpact.org.

I wish I could tell you what happened, but I don’t remember the details. In March of my freshman year, I was accidentally kicked in the head and knocked unconscious during play in a mandatory gym class. I was diagnosed with a concussion, but no one knew how severe it would be.

I lost weeks of school. Unfortunately, I had no baseline testing, so I was cleared to return to activities before I was fully healed.  Academics became extremely challenging; many of my teachers didn’t know how to make the appropriate accommodations for Post-Concussion Syndrome. Over a year later, although greatly improved, I still continue to have post-concussion headaches and memory issues causing me to struggle to be the “A” student I was prior to my brain injury.

It is estimated that as many as 3.8 million concussions happen in the U.S. per year in competitive sports; however, up to 50% of those concussions go unreported. Many kids don’t report their injury because they are afraid of being judged as “wimp,” or being denied participating in the sports they love.  Others think a concussion isn’t a big deal since the wounds aren’t visible.

During my own recovery I felt isolated, discouraged, frustrated, and angry. I was teased for wearing sunglasses when I was sensitive to light. I was made to feel as if I were “faking” my issues by many of my peers. I wasn’t able to continue in my after school activities that I loved so much.  In reality, just getting by on a day-to-day basis was difficult. I don’t want other kids to go through what I did. Physically having a concussion is bad enough, the extra emotional toll it takes is unnecessary.

We can act together to lessen the impact of a concussion on a child by being a more understanding school community and support system.  Everyone in the community should become more educated about concussions. Teachers, coaches and parents need to be aware of the severity of a concussion, it is by definition a mild traumatic brain injury, and should be taken seriously. We should encourage kids through awareness and education to report their injuries and any symptoms that could indicate a concussion has happened. By talking about concussions and creating a greater understanding, we improve the outlook not just for the injured person, but for everyone involved.

Posted: January 5, 2016

Below is a full transcription of Graham Thomas’ interview:

On his son, Alexander:

Oh, Alexander loved Hockey. He played a lot of hockey growing up. Age seven through 16 at a very elite level here in the United States and wasn’t a huge checker but absorbed many hits over the time period. He had many, many blows where guys would crush him into the boards. He said, “Dad, I blacked out during the game,” and as he says he blacks out I’m like but you weren’t laying on the ice. He gets diagnosed, he’s out for three weeks and then gets allowed to play and while he’s playing he seems okay but at the end of that weekend was when he decided to take his own life.

What is Graham’s mission?

We felt invincible. We had all of the imPACT testing, we had all of the pre-screening as far as concussion goes but what we didn’t know were the symptoms of a concussion. I believe our foundation, the Untold Foundation, and my son’s legacy is that we have to make sure that everyone is educated properly. In partnership with the Concussion Legacy Foundation, we’re pushing very strong to make sure that everybody in America, or the world, understands what a concussion is, what are the symptoms, and what do you do.

Posted: November 30, 2015

We were losing 4-1 with less than five minutes left in the third period.  The puck had been in our defensive zone. When my team gained possession, I followed our defensive zone break out and swiftly cut across the neutral zone ice, preparing to receive a pass from one of our defensemen.

The pass went off without a hitch, but its perfect execution didn’t receive such a successful follow through.

I was laying face down on the ice before the puck even touched my stick.

I had been blindsided, a hit from behind.

I was violently thrown to the ice. The force created an enormous shock to my system, and my immediate reaction was one of complete and utter fury. My body felt like it had been attacked. I had never been so physically and mentally unprepared for such a forceful jolt to my body.

It shook me to my core.

I immediately heard what sounded like those extraordinarily violent, ear-piercing violin chords in horror films at the climax of a life-altering scene.

It was fitting for what was to come.

I was able to get up on my own and, after a few moments of catching my breath on the bench, I was back out on the ice playing. Surely a standard old routine penalty like that wouldn’t merit two years of suffering, wouldn’t abruptly and unjustly bring my hockey career to an end, wouldn’t lead me fighting tooth and nail to graduate on time, wouldn’t cause me to take a leave of absence from my first big job, wouldn’t create pain I didn’t know existed, and certainly wouldn’t send me traveling all over the continent to meet with confused and disagreeing doctors. Surely it wouldn’t lead me down a dark road of depression, anxiety, self-doubt and general existentialism.

I had never had a concussion before, and so my initial thought-process was one that consisted largely of lying to myself.

I tried not to give too much weight to the fact that my vision was fuzzy as I glanced around the locker-room, slowly undressing my gear while attempting to make sense of whatever it was my coach had to say after the game.

I tried not to worry that my head felt ten pounds heavier than normal, or that I couldn’t focus on anything my teammates were saying while we were eating our post-game meal.

Instead I told myself I probably just needed to hydrate and sleep it off, that I’d wake up and feel 100% again.

I had taken bad hits before, I thought. Be tough.

And I had seen other athletes play through it before, so I should too, right? Just pop some Tylenol, heat your neck and suit up for game two the next day.

Finishing that game feeling just as awful as I had when it started still wasn’t enough to convince me I should take a step back. Instead, I naively told myself another night’s rest must be what I needed. I upped my water intake just to be safe and took more Tylenol too.

The following morning, day three post-hit, I suffered through my team’s morning lift in the weight room, telling myself that the grogginess I was experiencing must be because I hadn’t had enough coffee. It was just like any other Monday, right?

Instead of giving any meaningful thought to the potential repercussions of continuing to play with a concussion, I took another round of Tylenol just as I had the day before and suited up for our on-ice practice.

I had never missed a practice or a game at Yale before, and I told myself now was not the time to break that tradition. Being only three months shy of the culmination of my career as a competitive athlete, I pushed on regardless. It was the bitter conclusion to a lifetime of hard work and dedication to a sport I loved.

Time was precious. I had worked too hard to take a break, to rest. So I battled through practice even though it was all so clear that something was off.

It had been clear from the moment I got hit. It was so clear but I did everything I shouldn’t have done anyway.

This self-inflicted, intuitive denial is a thought-process I imagine many athletes have experienced and will continue to experience so long as they choose not to take concussions as seriously as they should.

I wish I had.

Posted: November 23, 2015

Concussions are by far the most frustrating and scariest injury I have witnessed as a parent. As a healthcare professional I am passionate about educating athletes and their families concerning minimizing risk and maximizing recovery. While there are many parts to the concussion recovery process, for us the return to school with protracted recovery was often the most stressful and energy intensive.

I was very fortunate in the return to school arena of concussion management as my children had an advocate in the high school who listened to my concerns, was willing to ask questions and provided support. This doesn’t mean it was easy. At the time, the knowledge and protocols on return to school and concussion recovery were not as available as they are now. Most of the teachers were very cooperative and wanted to help but were not sure how to approach the problems we faced. To them my student looked healthy; they were laughing at their locker with their friends and chatting in the halls. Why could they not get their homework done or take a quiz? Why did they put their head down in class?

I learned that after some rest time at home, my teenagers had to be back in school even though they were not ready to focus and learn. There were advantages to being in that environment without the academic demands. They needed the social interaction, exposure to the material, the normalization of their life.

I encourage parents to have a constantly evolving return to learn plan. Follow the recommendations of your healthcare provider and keep the school nurse in the loop. They can be a vital member of the recovery team. Every child and every concussion is different. Some students never miss a beat with their academics but many others struggle, so you need to be ready for a challenge. Gradual reintroduction worked best in most cases for my children. Ask that they be allowed to take frequent breaks with permission to leave the classroom and to attend classes without having to take tests. When they can take tests, they might need extra time because of the challenge of focusing. When necessary, work with the healthcare provider and school to get accommodations.

For a student who is struggling it can be a balancing act. Increasing homework time may decrease their tolerance for being in school. Have them attend partial days without tests. Choose classes intentionally. Does your child do better in the mornings but have headaches in the afternoons? Do they need to attend math every day, as that is a subject that builds on its content? Can they skip the current book the English class is reading now and make it up later when they feel better? Maybe they can handle the English and history, but math is too much and needs to be put aside to be tackled with a tutor and extra time later in the recovery process.

My recommendations: work with your healthcare provider and the school staff. Be on the same team. Prioritize. Ask questions. Be creative with solutions. Most importantly, observe and listen to your child. Watch for signs of frustration, fatigue, and headaches. Listen to them for clues on what triggers physical symptoms as well as looking for signs of social isolation and depression.

To see my normally active, happy children struggle with the challenges of concussion and extended recovery processes was a tormenting challenge. Creating a plan and building a team helped tremendously. We survived by celebrating the little successes, dealing with the setbacks, and counting our blessings.

Posted: June 9, 2015

Read more about Safer Soccer.

Below is a full transcription of Cindy’s interview:

Who is Cindy Parlow Cone:
I’m Cindy Parlow Cone. I grew up playing soccer and played a lot of different sports went on to play on the US Women’s National Team, winning gold medals in World Championships.

On coaching youth soccer and whether kids should head the ball:
For about the past decade I’ve been coaching youth all the way up to professional. Now that I’ve dedicated my coaching career to coaching youth, I have made the decision after listening to all the research and what’s coming out and how dangerous it is for kids to head at early ages, I’ve taken it out of the curriculum. I don’t teach my kids how to head. Instead I teach them how to bring the ball down out of the air with other parts of their body. It wasn’t until I was 18, 19 years old when I finally learned the technique of heading, and I went on to become one of the best headers in the world, scoring a lot of goals for the US Women’s National Team with my head. So, I’m a true believer that the correct technique and all of that can be learned later in life.

On Safer Soccer:
I support the Safer Soccer campaign for no heading under the age of 14. Taking heading out of the game obviously isn’t going to take away all the concussions in soccer. You’re still going to get concussions in other ways, but if we can take away that huge percentage and make the game safer for kids today. I think we, as adults, we have a responsibility to do that.