As I was looking at the recent articles about concussions – the number of which has increased tremendously over the life of the blog – I noticed a write-up in thestar.com, out of Canada, regarding the Woman’s National Water Polo team;
But eight members of the 20-member training squad have suffered concussions at various times in the lead-up to their important Olympic qualifier, April 15-22, in Trieste, Italy.
“It’s really hard for a team to find its groove, its chemistry when there’s always players in and out,” said the team’s star Krystina Alogbo. “And it’s hard obviously for other players because then they start worrying ‘Oh my God, what if I get hit in the head?’
The team has high hopes for a medal, pending the outcome of qualifying for the Olympics. However with the exposure and relatively good perspective of concussions in Canada the team may be worried more about their future, Sidney Crosby can be credited for that;
Backup goalie Marissa Jansens had to retire in January because of repeated concussions. Two players on the 15-player team selected for the qualification tournament are currently dealing with concussions, including Carmen Camille Eggens.
Rosanna Tomiuk, one of the fortunate ones not to have suffered a concussion, said the team doctors have been taking good care of her teammates but notes Eggens’ situation illustrates the difficult situation players find themselves in.
Along with the possible hypersensitivity the players do understand what can happen if they don’t address the injury initially, like Crosby, it means more missed time;
“She got hit last week. She’s had a couple of concussions already. She tried to tough it out for a few days: ‘It’s not big deal. Maybe, I’m being a bit sensitive,’” said Tomiuk. “But then now because she didn’t take the rest right away she’s been out for a week and she said normally her concussions in the past she only had to take a few days off.”
It is tough to comment on the actual injuries, but what is not debatable is that the players truly understand not only themselves but the concussion injury. On top of that, it is good to see that understanding the proper management is foremost on their minds.
The Concussion Blog 