Concussions in high school

Editor’s note: This is the third in a three-part series.
Most of the schools in the Herald-Standard circulation area who purchase baseline testing for their athletes are pleased with the results the tests produce, but there is a general call for more information about concussions from all corners.
“The biggest thing is making the public aware,” said Mike Hill, athletic trainer at Albert Gallatin. “We need to recognize the symptoms of a concussion more quickly and take the proper steps before an athlete returns to play.”
“I am satisfied,” said Bill Logue, athletic trainer at Laurel Highlands. “Having to see a physician now is a good thing for the safety of the kids. But it’s still just a good start. For the safety of the kids, what we have now is a very good thing. It’s about keeping them safe so they can enjoy playing the sport they play.”
“Yes, I believe it’s helping,” Frazier Athletic Director Paul Harvey said. “The program is more geared toward awareness and coaches have to be certified.”
“It’s the wave of the future and we’re a little behind,” Mapletown Athletic Director Linda Messich said. She acknowledged that baseline testing through imPACT Applications, Inc., have been purchased for her school for this year.
Mapletown will and Uniontown hopes to implement baseline testing before the fall sports seasons begin in late August. Most other schools in the area already have baseline testing in place, with the notable exception of Carmichaels.
The school’s trainer, Dawn Ward-Malik, and Superintendent John Menhart are on the same page: They have a plan in place and if the plan ain’t broken, they see no need to fix it.
“It’s hard to baseline test 50 athletes,” Ward-Malik said. “Plus, it’s expensive. Some of our kids get baseline testing on their own. We have the same guidelines as everyone else. It’s been that way since the beginning. We follow the sports medicine guidelines. I’m comfortable with our plan.”
Carmichaels will purchase baseline tests only when mandated by state law.
Connellsville athletic trainer Mark Pohlot, who has been a full-time district employee since 2000, sees the good baseline testing can produce, but he also realizes the pitfalls.
“It’s costly, it’s expensive,” Pohlot said. “It’s tough to manage all of it. But we get it done.”
Kids also can sway the curve in baseline testing, either to return more quickly or to delay their return.
“Do you have a headache? Are you dizzy? Kids can say yes to everything,” said Pohlot. “If they want a few weeks off of practice, they can do that.”
“I don’t know if its a big help,” Beth-Center football coach Ed Woods said. “There are pros and cons to it, I guess.”
As Beth-Center trainer Katie Tomaino said, the more kids do anything, the better they become at it. So an athlete who has had a concussion and taken a few baseline tests knows what to say — or type — to get back on the field.
Dr. James Gyurke, chief marketing and sales officer for imPACT Applications Inc., a company that sells baseline tests, disagrees.
“A stethoscope doesn’t tell you if you have a problem,” Dr. Gyurke said. “It’s just a tool in the toolbox. The baseline test can give you physical evidence of a disorder.”
Getting to know the individual is as important for a trainer as taping an ankle. Knowing the athlete should be able to help the trainer determine the validity of answers.
Part of the problem (and the increased awareness of it) is that players keep getting bigger and faster, according to Gyurke.
“Sports is business,” he said. “If you researched the NFL combine from the 1960s, you’d find the average size of players was around 5-11 and between 220 and 230 pounds. Today, the average for offensive linemen is 6-5 and about 330 pounds, but they run 4.4 or 4.5-second 40s. That’s a lot more force at a higher speed.”
But here we go, about to embark on another school year full of contests and athletic competitions. Plenty of concussions will occur. Are we ready for them?