Concussion Clinic Teaches Coaches Dangers Of Head Injuries
St. Louis Public High Schools are gearing up for another athletics season with classes on concussions. Cardinals 3rd-baseman David Freese was diagnosed with a concussion after a hit from a pitch in Thursday-night’s game. Blues player David Perron won’t be joining training camp this season. He is still recovering from a concussion he suffered last season. These are professional athletes and they were wearing helmets.
“And you can see they are common with high-speed accidents, with car accidents,” as Neuropsychologist Dr. Tom Martin pointed out to a classroom.
“What we’re trying to do is make sure that if that injury occurs that that person is seen immediately,” said SLPS athletic director Travis Brown. “But, we are trying to prevent.”
Brown is a longtime coach and past president of the Missouri State High School Activities Association. He has seen his share of concussions in student athletes. Now he wants to see his coaches armed with all the information he can provide about the injury.
Brown wanted to dispel one very important myth, that football is the only place where concussions can occur.
“Concussions can happen in soccer, football, and even on the playground,” Travis Brown explained. “That is why we are in-servicing the athletic directors as well as the P.E. [physical education] teachers.”
This class came just in time for the new athletic season which starts Monday.