ON SEPT. 12, 1998, Daniel Kenneth Will, a 17-year-old at Riley High School in Riley, Kan., had just made a tackle. The collision was hard, but not anything out of the ordinary. Will got up and started to jog toward the sideline. Just then, he collapsed and went into convulsions. Will died later that evening at a local hospital.
Physicians told family members that Will suffered a subdural hematoma, apparently caused by a blow to the head. Riley County High School coach Steve Wagner said he watched the game videotape several times, but could not find a single play where Will may have been injured.
Concussions, Head Trauma
The most common athletic brain injury is a concussion. The numbers are staggering. One out of every five high school football players sustains a concussion each year and there are over 250,000 reported annually.
A concussion is an injury to the brain or spinal cord due to a jarring hit. The blow may or may not result in a loss of consciousness. The common misconception is that a player needs to be “knocked out” in order for a concussion to have occurred. If a player returns to the game too quickly after sustaining even a mild head injury, permanent damage can occur.
Among the many symptoms of concussions are confusion, headaches, dizziness, nausea, memory problems, light sensitivity and over-emotional behavior.
A brain that has suffered a concussion is more vulnerable to repeated hits. If a player sustains one concussion, the risk of sustaining another increases four to six times.
Education, Awareness
So what can you do? Football, by it’s very nature is a rough game and there’s no way around it. Coaches need to educate themselves and look for warning signs. Teaching proper tackling techniques, neck-strengthening exercises and making sure that your team’s helmets meet safety requirements, are all important factors in keeping your players aggressive, yet as safe as possible.