Newspaper Page Text
The Lee County Ledger, Wednesday, September 28, 2011, Page 3B
School sports: Tips to identify and treat concussions
(ARA) - The crunch of
pads followed by a tweet
of a whistle, the thump of a
basketball with a staccato
of footfalls to accompany
it, and even the thwack of a
hockey puck against Plexi
glass means one thing:
school sports are in season.
Coaches, parents and
players are all getting
ready for the game and
practices are hard and
grueling. But many sports
involve contact and poten
tial injuries, so coaches and
parents need to educate
themselves about serious
injuries like concussions.
At the professional level,
more and more attention
is being paid to the hard
hits players are taking. The
NFL is changing rules on
helmet-to-helmet contact
in hopes of reducing the
number and severity of
concussions suffered by
players. But, head injuries
also happen at much lower
levels of play, and can be
very serious.
“Coaches and parents
need to understand the
extreme care that is needed
when returning younger
athletes to a game or prac
tice who may have experi
enced a sports concussion,’’
says Dr. Jeffrey Kutcher,
chair of the American
Academy of Neurology’s
Sports Neurology Section
and also director of the
University of Michigan’s
Neurosport program.
Signs of a concussion that
can be observed during a
game or practice are:
* Behavior or personality
change
* False or imagined
memories
* Loss of consciousness
* Empty stare
* Disorientation
Athletes may also report
the following when suffer
ing a concussion:
* Blurry vision
* Confusion
* Dizziness
* Feeling hazy, foggy or
groggy
* Headache
The American Academy
of Neurology’s website at
www.aan.com/concussion
offers two online safety
courses created by the
University of Michigan
Neurosport program and
endorsed by the Academy
to help high school and
youth coaches recognize
the signs of concussion
and what to do if a player
gets a head injury during
a game. Each 20-minute
safety course is free and
a printable certificate is
available after passing the
online quiz.
Coaches Cards are also
downloadable from the
Academy’s website provid
ing easy-to-access infor
mation on how to spot a
concussion and what to do
if a player experiences one.
Coaches and players are
encouraged to keep these
cards with their athletic
gear for easy access.
Some states have passed
laws on managing concus
sions. If you are a coach or
parent of a younger athlete,
make sure you educate
yourself on the laws and
concussion signs to keep
the athlete safe.
“If for any reason you
suspect an athlete has a
concussion, remove the
athlete from play and be
sure the athlete is care
fully evaluated by a person
trained in concussion
management, such as a
neurologist,’’ Kutcher says.
“Rushing this part of the
process may lead to a seri
ous setback, or worsen the
injury.’’
High school and youth
sporting events are meant
to get athletes playing the
games they love. But, a
head injury needs to be
addressed very carefully in
order to ensure the athlete
returns to the field safely
for many more games to be
played, both now and well
into the future.
Cavs Run Tough Despite Hot,
Humid Conditions At FSU
Special to the Ledger
Although the hot, humid
air apparently caused three
of Darton College Head
Coach Bruce Skiles’ men
to collapse while compet
ing in the college 8K, the
Cavaliers still ran strongly
at the Florida State Cross
Country Invitational on
Friday, he said.
“It was miserable,” Skiles
said. “It was so hot and
the humidity was so high
- it was in the afternoon,
in the heat of the day - it
probably caused our guys
to run ten to 15 seconds
slower per mile.
“But they still ran tough.
Two of my guys fell out
right after they crossed the
finish line.”
Sophomore Kingsley
Cajuste again lead the way
for the Cavaliers, running a
27:08 to finish 34th out of
157 runners. Heath Lamb
finished 41st, running
a 27:23, freshman Ryan
Judson ran a 28:24 to finish
82nd, freshman Nickenson
Charles, of Stockbridge,
ran 29:12 to become a
scoring runner for Darton
and to finish 95th, and
sophomore Nathan Norton,
of Americus, ran a 29:25
to place 99th and finish the
team scoring at 299 points.
Darton finished 10th
overall out of the 17-team
field, beating the likes of
Valdosta State University,
Troy University, and its
GCAA rivals South Geor
gia College and Chatta-
hooccee Technical College.
Temperatures soared well
upward of 90 degrees, and
high levels of humidity
kept sweat from evaporat
ing and allowing bodies to
cool.
“I don’t think we’ll be
going back to this one next
year,” Skiles said. “Un
less they decide to run this
thing in the morning.”
Sha Wright, of Griffin,
led the Lady Cavaliers to
a 14th-place finish among
17 teams. She finished the
women’s 5K in 20:50 and
finished 74th overall out
of 162 athletes. Fresh
man Hayden Clapper, of
Oviedo, Fla., ran a 22:22
to finish 108th, Jeronda
Stringfield, of Pensacola,
ran a 22:46 to finish 118th,
Vanessa Pina, of Leesburg,
ran a 22:49 to finish 119th
and Ashley Tosky, also
of Leesburg, ran 23:00 to
place 126th and finish the
team scoring at 398.
“I was very pleased with
Sha’s, Hayden’s and Van
essa’s efforts,” Skiles said.
“I’m a little disappointed
in a couple of my girls
though.”
Full race results
are available on the
Seminoles’ athletics
website: http://www.
seminoles .com/sports/c-xc/
recaps/092311aab .html.
The cross country
program returns home
Saturday to host the fourth
annual “Darton Invita
tional - Skiles Farm” in
Dawson. Races begin at
8 a.m., and directions are
available on the Darton
College Athletics website:
http://cavs .darton .edu/.
229-759-2909
231 Old Smithville Road
1/2 mile on left.
Past Lee County Middle School
Hrs. Mon-Sat. 8:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Sun - 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Bow Season Special
Standard Cut I 50 00
burger, cube,
smoke fresh link, pan
deerjerky.
No bulk processing
Travis Branch - Manager Calvin Eubanks - Asst. Manager
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Sometimes the bumps in the road of life are overwhelming, especially when it comes to an
unplanned or unexpected pregnancy. In these circumstances we are often faced with decisions
that will change the course of our lives. These decisions are not simple or easy and
should be made with careful consideration.
Here at the Pregnancy Resource Center of Lee County we are committed to
providing a compassionate, non-judgmental, and confidential environment
for women who are faced with an unplanned or unwanted pregnancy.
The choices we make will change us forever. You don’t have to face this
alone. We are here because we care.
Resource Center
of Lee County
Had Sex? Have Questions? Pregnant? Scared? Need Help?
Your needs are important to us. Our trained client advocates are here to listen to your
concerns and questions about pregnancy, abortion, sexually-transmitted infections and
diseases (STI/STDs), and related issues.
If you’ve recently taken a pregnancy test or missed a period, you might be worried
about an unplanned pregnancy. At the PRC of Lee County, you won’t experience any
pressure - just caring advice. We’re here to help you consider all your options.
oS^UJCeedy 'f' 'oeo
Services Offered:
* Pregnancy Verification
* 24-hour hotline
* Adoption Information/Education
* Abortion Education
* Sexual Health Information
* Educational Material
Client Advocacy Services:
* Post-abortion Support
* Parenting Support
* Mentoring Program
1-888-Z06-IJ71
We Offer Referrals
FOR THE FOLLOWING:
* Medical
* Adoption Agencies
* Housing
* Educational Assistance
* Community Resources
Please call to schedule
an appointment....
Walk-Ins Always Welcome.
Mon. - Thurs. 10am-5pm,
Tues. 5pm - 7pm (by appointment only)
111 Starksville Avenue North, Leesburg
(Across from the Lee Co. Tag Office)
Join Us
for A
Benefit
Concert
Saturday
October
8th
JjJIS
First Baptist Leesburg, GA
In The Family Life Center
Tickets are only $5
Includes a Free BBQ Plate
Dinner Served @ 6PM
Concert Begins @ 7PM
Tickets Available at:
The PRC
First Baptist Leesburg Office
LifeWay Christian Book Store
For more info call:
229-255-2085 or 229-759-6576
Visit Our website: prcoflc.com
We Are Proud To Sponsor This Week's Game!
Lee County Trojans vs Houston County Bears
Friday Sept. 30th At Lee County High School