Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/189657
FEATURE PHOTO BY MATT HARTUNG Reducing hits during practice is a priority for Tulelake High School Football Coach Shane Wood. "Winning at all costs is secondary to athletes' health." "The online training is helpful and makes you more aware of what's going on, but we are not trained to diagnose concussions, and if we misdiagnose the situation, we could be blamed for acting as a doctor," adds Brown, Victor Valley Teachers Association. Targeting a defenseless opposing player and making contact above the shoulders are grounds for ejection under an NFL ruling two years ago, and the ruling has filtered down to the collegiate and high school levels. So has the rule stating if a player's helmet comes off during play, the player Girls are more must leave the field of play for one susceptible to down, which reduces the threat of intentional bumping. concussions NFL players recently bargained than boys. to eliminate "live contact" during off-season practice to reduce the risk of brain damage from cumulative hits, and NFL players are not allowed to wear pads during off-season workouts. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has been urged to follow suit. Rules limiting preseason contact have not filtered down to high schools, but CIF officials say they may eventually. The policy has been adopted at Fresno Unified School District and a few others. 14 Educator 10 Oct 2013 v2.1 int.indd 14 "We're all trying to be proactive with sports, and it's an ongoing process," says Contreras. Reducing hits during practice is a priority for Shane Wood, a football coach at Tulelake High School for 22 years. "On occasion there needs to be some full impact, but that doesn't need to happen frequently in practice." Wood's players perform daily exercises to strengthen the neck, and they wear state-of-the-art helmets purchased two years ago with grant money. He also makes sure they drink plenty of water. None of these things guarantee a concussion won't happen, but they can reduce the odds. "We take a different approach now," says Wood, Tulelake Basin Teachers Association. "We put more attention on taking care of the kids, and winning at all costs is secondary to athletes' health." SET T ING A BASELINE The best way to determine whether a concussion has occurred is having athletes take a "baseline" test, a preseason exam to assess balance, reaction time and brain function. Comparing post-injury reactions to baseline test results helps determine when a player can return to school and participate in sports. Sometimes baseline tests are administered by a doctor or O C T O B E R 2013 10/7/13 9:38 PM