Concussion Response Rigid Yet Preventative
Following the assembly of renowned journalist Mark Fainaru-Wada, author of “League of Denial,” some members of the Academy community have examined the Athletic Department and its concussion policies in greater depth.
In the book, Fainaru-Wada uncovers the detrimental effects of concussions in a National Football League (NFL) player’s career.
The book and Fainaru-Wada’s talk invoked discussion at the Academy regarding concussions students suffered while participating in Exeter athletics. While it was clear that the number and severity of concussions at Exeter were far less than those of the NFL, they were a top priority for the administration, the athletics department and student athletes.
Dean of Health and Wellness Gordon Coole emphasized the great attention the Academy places on academic and physical care for students who have suffered concussions.
“The first priority is their medical side, we want to take care of them, have their headaches abate, have their focus come back in, have them rest and feel better.”
“We are much more conservative in our care, not just in terms of returning a student to physical activity, but also supporting students in their academic responsibilities,” he said.
Moreover, physical education instructor Robert Morris noted the improvement the Exeter football team has made in terms of safety in the past several years. With technologically advanced equipment, increased awareness regarding the severity of the issue, emphasized rules and instruction of proper tackling techniques, he claimed that “football is safer now than it has ever been.”
In addition, Morris said that he limits full contact tackling in practice to reduce the number of hits each student takes.
Despite these adjustments, several Exonians have noticed an increase in the number of concussions, especially this season.
“A lot of kids are getting concussions this year, and I can’t really put a reason on it,” senior and boys’ varsity football captain Alex Farley said. “It might result from lack of sleep and high stress, but I don't think there's any science behind that theory yet.”
Post graduate Noah Kershner, who suffered a concussion this past season, noticed this upward trend and attributed it to the uniqueness of each season and each athlete.
In his case, he said, the concussion was extremely minor and he believed that it would only prohibit him from practices for a couple days. However, due to the emphasis on safety and health in the Exeter athletics department, he was restricted from physical activity for a week.
“I think that the kids should be trusted in their thoughts of how severe their concussion is. I think some kids fear not being able to play,” Kershner said. “But like I said before: every case, and every kid is different. Concussions can build up and result in lifelong side effects.”
Exeter’s cautionary approach to concussion treatment, while at times might be inflexible, seems to be beneficial for student athletes. “In general I would say that here at Exeter we have been handling this issue properly for the last twenty years or more—I know this issue seems new to many but it is not new to those of us who coach football and care for the athletes in the athletic training profession,” Morris said.
Football is not the only sport that requires conscientious attention when dealing with concussions. Hockey, soccer and lacrosse—to name a few—have the same issue with their athletes. “Concussions can really happen anywhere and during any sport. It’s a chance you take whenever you do any sort of contact sport,” upper and girls’ varsity soccer player Hannah Gustafson said.
For former girls’ varsity soccer captain Michaela Streep, concussions have changed her entire life. After five minor concussions, four of which were caused by playing soccer, her doctor informed her that she would not be able to play contact sports again, restraining her from the sport she loved: soccer. “I absolutely loved playing soccer and I miss it every day,” Streep said. “I want other people to know that even though it really stinks being out for a game or two because of a concussion, you need to do it. It's much better than being out for a season, or forever.”
In hockey, as in soccer, concussions are a serious issue.
Upper Bonnie LaBonte, a member of the girls’ varsity hockey team, recalled her concussion in 2008, after which she was forced to sit out from her hockey team for over a month. Because this was her only interaction with concussions, she considered herself to be extremely lucky. “My dad, a hockey coach, is very cautious when it comes to bringing his players back into the game after a concussion,” she said. “He says they're brain injuries after all, and one more game, 15 minutes of playing time, isn't worth compromising your mental capacity for life.”
Senior Allegra Grant, a teammate of LaBonte, considered the training staff at the athletics department to be as careful as LaBonte’s father, making sure that she was completely free of symptoms before re-entering the ice after experiencing a concussion.
“I also think that the athletic trainers were pretty helpful in getting me back on my feet pretty quickly, and were cautious to make sure that there wasn't a chance of reinjury,” she said.
In addition to the issue of physical recovery, the lack of focus in academics was noted by students as one of the most difficult ramifications of concussions.
“Unfortunately, Exeter is probably the worst place in the world to have a concussion,” Farley said. “There’s a ton of pressure to perform in school, and the way classes are taught there’s not really any way to get back when you fall behind.”
Streep supported Farley’s statement and addressed this issue as one that Exeter should address. She explained that although it is technically acceptable for students with severe concussions to be excused from classes, they usually decide not to, since they will have to make up the missed work anyways. “Because of this, students won't take the appropriate amount of time off to let their head heal,” Streep said.
Physical education instructor Dana Barbin sympathized with the students who have been forced to miss schoolwork due to concussions. “Whenever a kid gets one, we just hope that it’s not a bad one based on too much pain in the head,” Barbin said. “Most headaches can be pretty brutal.”
However, long term safety trumps the significance of missed classes or games. “The first [priority] is their medical side, we want to take care of them, have their headaches abate, have their focus come back in, have them rest and feel better,” associate medical director of Lamont Health and Wellness Center Benjamin Gardner said. “The second one on the priority list is academics.”
Streep regretted that when she was being diagnosed with concussions, she did not recognize her health as a top priority; thus, she hopes others will view concussions in a different light. “Even what I’m saying now is hard to swallow, because I sure didn’t think that way when I was getting concussions,” Streep said. “I just wanted to keep playing.”
What the Academy can do to prevent other Exonians from being in the same position as Streep is to continue improving athletic technology, such as providing better on-site recognition and care, and staying up-to-date in its knowledge and application of the best practices in response to concussions. “While I can’t speak with statistical evidence, I feel we have fewer incidences than our peers due to the highest quality protective equipment and coaching,” Coole said. “We [have and will] respond with great expertise in recognizing concussions in our students when they occur and manage their care with the best protocol.”