The Concussion Blog

It’s not actually snowing, but no school today because of -20’s windchill.  With my kids out and some time to relax, I have found myself looking back and getting a bit nervous for the upcoming week.

It was a heckuva weekend as an athletic trainer and this week is shaping up to be a big week in terms of concussion education for me.  As you may have already noticed I am heading to New York tomorrow to be part of the #C4CT Concussion Summit, both as a live blog feed and a panelist.  I hope many can make the event, and many more learn from what I can get down on the interwebs.

Let us first reexamine the life of an athletic trainer this past weekend…

It started Friday night as the boy’s team was on the road and I caught wind (we seem to have a ton of sources as AT’s) of a collision between two players in the game.  One of them had to go to the ER for some sewing work the other was ruled out by the AT with a concussion.  So began my communication and information gathering well into the late night – and I wasn’t even there.

Saturday came with anticipation of seeing the injured players, fully assessing and beginning a recovery plan – while attending to a high school wrestling dual tournament.  I don’t think many non-AT’s appreciate the juggling act necessary to even take a leak during these type of events let alone get some food, but now throw in two separate concussion evaluations and meetings with parents it becomes a minor miracle.  However, I would be remiss if I didn’t have an outstanding volunteer first responder and student AT.

After testing and making the decision to let one player travel but not play and the other to not travel at all, it was time to focus on the wrestling.  It was a very good set of matches with an unlikely victor as a team.  However, in the aftermath there was a bit of false bravado by an athlete as a fist and arm went through a double-paned glass window – the ones with wires in them – and then extracted said arm.

Having an athlete present with possibly the “ugliest” injury you have ever seen can be a bit discomforting, which it was as blood was not only leaking out it was pulsing out of the large gash.  Some how, some way when controlling the bleeding there was not one drop on my clothes, an absolute miracle.  The stories being related after the fact have been from preposterous to accurate, the net-net was that we had a life-threatening injury and it was taken care of quickly and professionally.  On top of that the athlete was all taken care of and went home that night, a very lucky kid in the face of doing something very dumb.

Sunday was not a rest day as 11 hours in the gym was on the docket again, for the little kids wrestling individual tournament.  I actually learned a ton from being there (only had 5 bloody noses and one “injury).  I learned that if kids/parents want kids to be in a “collision-type” sport that demands physical and mental discipline that wrestling may be the answer, over football for as young as 5.

Although school is out today my job is still in full swing.  Beyond the paperwork from the weekend I had to figure out a way to meet with the injuries at school and talk with parents.  Set up doctors appointments.  Track an injured athlete trough surgery.  Call coaches and admin to remind them of my absence.  And get the training room cleaned, set-up and directions for the sub AT coming in for me.

Oh, there is this blog too, which will have breaking news today.

As I am writing this I only wanted to share what an athletic trainer does.  Sure, because I post here makes me not the “normal” AT but there are many athletic trainers out there that do this and much more than me on a daily basis.  It is very important to me to share my experiences so you can see how valuable AT’s are.

Parting, I would like to now extend an invitation to Commissioner Rodger Goodell to meet with me while I’m in New York.  I am actually staying a block or so away from NFL HQ.  So, Mr. Goodell (or representatives) just give me a shout in my in box! hahahaha.  Can’t say I didn’t try!