Like their professional counterparts, athletes at this school risk head injuries. New procedures help to evaluate severity of damage.

By James Benedict
<[email protected]>

Jonathan Prather, varsity football player and senior, hits the ground, Hard. His world goes dark around him as he hears the muffled sounds of the referees’ whistles blowing. “It was scary. It all just went black,” Prather said describing the concussions he received during the Homecoming game against North Central.

Administrators and coaches have said they recognize the risk involved in playing contact sports, but that doesn’t mean they are responsible for the injury. The athletic handbook states, “Due to the nature of athletic activity… injury may occur. While the school provides the opportunity for such participation, the parent retains the right of denial of such participation and must carry the responsibility for providing medical care and insurance coverage for their son or daughter.”

Athletics Director Jim Inskeep said even though Carmel does not assume liability for injury, it does provide certified athletic trainers to help keep players healthy or help them recover from an injury.

Due to increased information over the long-term damage of concussions, The IHSAA has changed its policy. For its part, CHS has brought in Todd Arnold, a physician with the St. Vincent’s sports medicine team; to clear any player that has received a concussion while competing in a Carmel sponsored sport. Inskeep said  club sports do not receive any help from CHS training staff. He later said Carmel would not hold back when it comes to helping student athletes, who participate in sponsored sports, with their safety.

“Our students’ health is of the top priority, we are fortunate to have great professionals in the 11 years I’ve been here.”

Prather said he received his concussion while trying to tackle a defensive back returning an intercepted pass. “He caught a interception before the half. As I started to break down (for the tackle), I was blindsided. My chinstrap snapped off (but stayed on my head) and I hit my head. I got back up but didn’t remember anything.”

Prather said he couldn’t remember anything 15 minutes after the hit. According to the Mayo Clinic temporal memory loss is a common side effect of a concussion and a sudden blow to the head is the most common cause of a concussion because it shakes the brain against the skull, causing the temporal loss.

If left untreated, a concussion can lead to long-term memory loss and decreased brain function. Prather said he would not have any long term side effects from his concussion.

Athletics trainer Dawn Ellington said via e-mail, “Athletes are given the imPACT pre-concussion screening prior to participation. If they receive a concussion, they are sent to see a physician to be evaluated,” she said. “The physician will order follow up imPACT tests to assess their progress.  Once the physician clears the athlete, we (the training staff) begin a functional progression for return to sport. This begins with mild activity (bike riding for 20 minutes) all the way up to full contact (full practice).”

Prather said he went to visit Arnold the day following his injury and was told he had a concussion. Prather’s test after the hit showed a decrease in brain function compared to his benchmark tests given in the preseason, and further test were ordered.

Ellington said that a certified medical doctor must clear the athlete before he can practice again. Ellington said it is up to the doctor and player on when that happens.

“Once they have been cleared by the physician and passed a functional progression, I feel that they are safe to play,” she said.
Before he is allowed to participate in practice again Prather said the doctors told him he must feel fine, pass two physical tests and pass a mental test. Prather returned to practice on Oct. 12. He was gradually reintroduced into practice to prevent any further injury.

Prather said he thinks he will be OK but understands there will be consequences as a result of his concussion. He said, “I think it was detrimental to me both as a player and as a student…not only did I miss two weeks as a player my senior year, which is precious time and memories, but also I missed two weeks as a student because I was to rest my brain which means minimal studying.”