Looking up, I wondered why my high school-aged neighbor was carrying me. And why was everything so blurry? A snapshot of my front wheel, handlebars, dirt and rocks flashed through my brain – but then headache and nausea overwhelmed me, and it became a rough couple of days for an 8-year-old who thought he could ride a Schwinn Stingray bike on mountain trails. Over forty years later, the details of that crash are still missing from memory.
A year later I was sliding down an icy hill with several friends during recess, fell, and hit my head. It wasn’t a hard fall, but within minutes I was once again dizzy and nauseated. Fast forward a few more years, and a hard hit during a high school football game yielded similar symptoms . Through it all, I never saw a doctor and it was never suggested. Those were the days of toughing things out – no drinking water during sports practices, no crying, and certainly no missing competitions due to concussions. While some might jokingly argue that my episodes left a permanent mark, I haven’t had any serious complications…yet.
Thankfully, times have changed. Safety, education and common sense have supplanted machismo, at least to a degree. Kids and adults alike are encouraged or required to wear helmets when riding bikes. Water is allowed and encouraged at sports practices, and concussion awareness in general is improving every year.
Due to some high-profile cases in former National Football League players, Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) – a degenerative condition many scientists say is caused by head trauma and is linked to depression and dementia – has further improved awareness.
In an effort to better monitor and protect players, the National Football League introduced advanced concussion protocol this year. Implementation has been inconsistent so far, but it is a big step in the right direction.
If we keep our heads about us, things can end well. Last weekend I attended the Idaho State High School Mountain Biking Championships, as a coach. Competition had been intense all year and escalated to a new level at this final event.
Late in the day, standing just beyond the finish line, I watched intently as a student on our team battled a rival racer. They both went full speed for the overall victory – then suddenly and violently collided a few feet from the finish banner. My athlete slammed into the ground sideways, while the rival flew over his handlebars, flipped…and landed on my feet.
Commotion quickly turned into painful moans from both racers, and they writhed around on the ground. I remembered the CDC Concussion training I’d received, and instructed the athletes accordingly. Medics quickly arrived, injuries were assessed as minor, and they were both upright, shaking hands and moving around within a few minutes – while still wearing their helmets.
All injuries warrant concern, but especially those to the head. While increasingly valuable knowledge continues to emerge about short and long-term effects of brain trauma, effective implementation of the information is critical.
Photo Credit
Photo by Cody Hill – All Rights Reserved
Guest Author Bio
Cody Hill
Cody Hill is a blogger and asphalt salesman based in Idaho. When he’s not traveling around the state for work, he can be found getting lost in the woods on his mountain bike.
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