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Concussions n :ed to reported for proper treatme,, t
By EMILY HANSON
Journal photos by Emily Hanson
Shelton High School athletic trainer Kasey
Robbins wraps a Highclimber's wrist during
halftime on Friday.
In 2006, Zachery Lyst-
edt, 13, from Maple Valley,
Wash., received a hard hit
early in a football game.
He returned to play
later that same game and
suffered a life-threatening
brain injury. Though Lyst-
edt smwived the injury and
was able to walk with a
cane at his 2011 high school
graduation, House Bill 1824
was signed into Washington
state law by Gov. Christine
Gregoire on May 14, 2009.
With this law in place,
schools have been working
toward improving how inju-
ties are handled on the side-
line, especially concussions.
"When it first came out,
we had to contact anyone us-
ing our facilities and make
sure they receive training
in regards to concussions,"
North Mason Athletic Di-
rector Mark Swofford said.
Shelton Athletic Direc-
tar Jim Judson and Mary
M. Knight Athletic Director
John Schultz stated they did
the same at their schools.
"What we do is we post
literature on the district
website," Judson said. "We
talk about the signs and
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symptoms of concussions so
coaches are getting an edu-
cation."
As per the requirements
of the law, when an athlete
receives a hard hit, they
are pulled out of the game
for evaluation. Shelton
athletes are evaluated by
their coaches on the side-
line. This is also where ath-
letic trainer Kasey Robbins
comes in.
"I'm looking for their
memories before and after
what happened," Robbins
said. "I'm looking to see if
their eyes glass over and I
also look for coordination."
Robbins said she asks
athletes about what just
happened on the field. Then
she gives them three words
and asks them to remember
them in order. For example,
she'll ask an athlete to re-
member grape, purple, el-
ephant. Then she'll ask oth-
er questions such as: does
your head hurt? What team
are we playing? What's the
score?
"Five to 10 minutes lat-
er, I ask them to tell me
the three things I asked
them to remember in or-
der," Robbins said. "I'll ask
them some more questions
and then come back to those
three words."
During her evaluation of
athletes, Robbins looks at
their pupils to make sure
they're equal and respon-
sive.
"I then look at their coor-
dination," she said. "They'll
stumble and I've seen kids
(with concussions) walk like
they're drunk."
She said when athletes
suffer a bad enough head
injury, they'll start asking
her questions, trying to fig-
ure out what just happened
to them or asking her for
answers she's already given
them.
For North Mason ath-
letes, coaches do the evalua-
tions as well as members of
Mason County Fire District
5.
"North Mason does not
currently have an athletic
trainer," Swofford said.
Every coach at North
Mason, as well as Shel-
ton and Mary M. Knight,
must go through the online
training course through the
Washington Interscholastic
Athletic Association (WIAA)
website.
"M was pmaying college
soccer and i was going
after a loose ball, An
opponent caught me in
my temporam area was a
freak thing that hit me just
right."
"As part of the certifica-
tion process, the paid coach-
es go through the WIAA
clinic," Judson said. "The
WIAA lets me knoW my
coaches have completed the
clinic."
At Mary M. Knight,
Schultz and his coaches are
trained to check for concus-
sion symptoms and athletes
are evaluated by members
of Mason County Fire Dis-
trict 12 during football
games.
"There is always some,
body at a game who is
trained to recognize the
symptoms," Schultz said.
He said the main prob-
lem that has arisen since
the law was passed is ath-
letes trying to hide what
they're going through.
"Over the last several
.years, athletes trying to
hide their symptoms has
been an issue because they
know they'll be out (of the
game)," Schultz said. "We
tell the other athletes if
their friend has a concus-
sion to let us know."
Judson said that con-
cussions are scary and
the school is not messing
around with them,
"The onset can be de-
layed, so that's why we take
them out of competition for
a trained medical profes-
sional to evaluate," he said:
Judson even has person-
al experience with concus-
sions.
"I was playing college
soccer and I was going after
a loose ball," Judson said.
"An opponent caught me in
my temporal area. It was a
freak thing that hit me just
right."
He said the hit caused
severe trauma to his brain
and swelling. In the ER,
doctors had to drain cere-
bral and spinal fluids from
his brain.
"I was unresponsive and
unconscious for quite a bit
of time," he said. "It was
scary for my family. That's
why we take it very serf-
ously."
To participate in high
school athletics, students
and their parents must
sign waivers stating that
they've been educated about
the risks of playing and the
risks of concussions. These
forms are all available
through the WIAA.
Robbins said the range
for when an athlete begins
showing concussion symp-
toms can vary from immedi-
ately after the hit to as far
away as 24 hours after the
fact.
"That's why diagnosing
on the sideline is so difficult
and a second concussion can
happen," she said. "Parents
need to really make sure
athletes don't lie about it."
She said one main dan-
ger about concussions is
that athletes don't rest
long enough after being
diagnosed. Al~er receiving
a concussion, if an athlete
gets hit slightly in the head
and it causes a headache,
Robbins said they are still
suffering from the concus-
sion.
Once the school has de-
termined an athlete has
received a .concussion -- or
even if a concussion is sus-
pected -- that athlete is no
longer cleared to play.
"Athletes with concus-
sions go to the Lystedt law,"
Swofford said. "The kid
doesn't go back on the field
until they're released by a
doctor."
Although football, boys'
and girls' soccer and bas-
ketball are considered the
high-risk sports for concus-
sions, Robbins said a brain
injury can happen in any
sport.
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Shelton senior running back Thomas Gettle has his blood pressure
checked by athletic trainer Kasey Robbins on Friday during halftime.
Key provisions of the Lystedt Law awned play[ields must comply with ~is law,
|Youth athleteswho are suspected of sustaining a concussion or he~d
injury must be removed from ihy.. Symptoms of concussion
"School districts work with the WIAA ta develop infarmtion and IIH~da~he o~ o feeling af pressure in the head
policies o~ educating coaches, youth athletes and putouts about the IITemporary ass of cause ousnos.~
nature and risk of concussion, including ~e dongels of ietoming to nCodmion or fading as if ino fog
practice ar compefttion after o coucussian ar head in ury. IIAmnesia surrounding the traumatic event
BAll student u~letes and their parents/guardians sign ah information nDizziness or seei~i stars"
sheet about concussion and heacl injury iriai ta the youth a~iet(s IiRingiug in the ears
initiating pradice at the sturt of each season. IINausea or vomiting
|Youth ath ales who have been removed from ptav roceive w~en nS ~rred s~ch
medico! demnca prior ta returning to play from o licensed heatlbcm II~otigua
provider imined in the evaluation and management of ¢oncussion~: IIIteck of coordination or balance
| Pr vote, non-profit vOulfi sports nssoc at oi~S W~li~:to ~ pub d~,
Page C-4 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Thursday, Sept. 6, 2012