Derek Williams, No.5, freshman point guard for the Bears suffered a concussion during a game on Jan. 16. Williams has since returned to the lineup after experiencing symptoms for five days.
By Kolby Vetter
Staff Writer
Derek Williams, freshman point guard on DMACC basketball team, says the last thing he remembers from the game on Jan. 16 was running down the court going for the ball.
From there on it was just a blur.
“I got elbowed on the side of my head, I blacked out and all I remember was getting help from the people after I regained consciousness,” Williams said.
Williams was sidelined for the rest of the game against the Clinton Cougars. When he returned to DMACC, he was diagnosed with a concussion.
Concussions is a serious topic and DMACC is following decisions closely by the Iowa High School Athletic Association to set more guidelines and policies to prevent and respond to head inuries, said Orv Salmon, Athletic Director.
“We have changed our approach on the issue, based on the consultation of the doctor that is in town, we do exactly what he says, and he follows the exact protocol that was set up by the IAHSAA,” Salmon said.
Salmon said that the topic of concussions is a not new one, but more awareness is being brought up around the country.
In 2012 there were between 1 to 3 million concussions nationwide, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
When a concussion occurs, the scientific term for what is happening is that the person’s brain is being hit against the skull, which causes bruising and can result in serious brain trauma. But this brings up a point of what determines how serious a concussion is.
“If a player loses consciousness he or she will not be allowed to go back into the athletic competition, and that’s directly from our athletic trainer, then that player needs to be evaluated by doctor,” Salmon said. The player must run through a series of tests to figure out the severity of the injury. From there it is taken day by day based on how he or she is feeling, Salmon said.
Salmon said that as the issue is becoming a bigger topic of discussion more rules will be placed. He also said that the NJCAA is starting to play a bigger role when it comes to the injury. Salmon believes that over the next couple of years the rules will become even stricter.
Salmon said the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference has general policies in place for responding to concussions, “but our frame of reference for handling this is always just trusting our local doctor here.”
After the injury, Williams had to go through what he called a “seven day cycle” that included a lot of rest, and staying in.
“The first day, I was supposed to sleep for 24 hours, no TV or anything, and as the days progressed just get back to the normal way of life, like using my phone and everyday things,” Williams said.
Williams went through five straight days of headaches and called the concussion on a scale of one to 10 an eight. According to the IAHSAA for a player to return to the court he or she must complete a seven-step process that includes: Completing physical and rest, returning to everyday activity, light exercising, non-contact training drills, medical clearance, and finally returning to normal competition.
“Before I could return I had to make sure my balance was okay, I had to go to the doctor three times to make sure it was right where is should be, and from there get the okay from the doctor,” Williams said.
Williams and Salmon agree that as the years progress and the risk of concussions go up, it will be considered more serious; there will be more guidelines and rules to follow that minimize the chance of suffering a concussion.
Baltimore Ravens and Super Bowl champion, Bernard Pollard, a defensive back, told ESPN that he believes that football won’t even exist in 30 years because of the nature that it is played and the brain injuries it causes.
Williams said, “You need to start being more careful, and not getting back so early after a concussion, because it can really mess you up in the long run.”
Staff Writer
Derek Williams, freshman point guard on DMACC basketball team, says the last thing he remembers from the game on Jan. 16 was running down the court going for the ball.
From there on it was just a blur.
“I got elbowed on the side of my head, I blacked out and all I remember was getting help from the people after I regained consciousness,” Williams said.
Williams was sidelined for the rest of the game against the Clinton Cougars. When he returned to DMACC, he was diagnosed with a concussion.
Concussions is a serious topic and DMACC is following decisions closely by the Iowa High School Athletic Association to set more guidelines and policies to prevent and respond to head inuries, said Orv Salmon, Athletic Director.
“We have changed our approach on the issue, based on the consultation of the doctor that is in town, we do exactly what he says, and he follows the exact protocol that was set up by the IAHSAA,” Salmon said.
Salmon said that the topic of concussions is a not new one, but more awareness is being brought up around the country.
In 2012 there were between 1 to 3 million concussions nationwide, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
When a concussion occurs, the scientific term for what is happening is that the person’s brain is being hit against the skull, which causes bruising and can result in serious brain trauma. But this brings up a point of what determines how serious a concussion is.
“If a player loses consciousness he or she will not be allowed to go back into the athletic competition, and that’s directly from our athletic trainer, then that player needs to be evaluated by doctor,” Salmon said. The player must run through a series of tests to figure out the severity of the injury. From there it is taken day by day based on how he or she is feeling, Salmon said.
Salmon said that as the issue is becoming a bigger topic of discussion more rules will be placed. He also said that the NJCAA is starting to play a bigger role when it comes to the injury. Salmon believes that over the next couple of years the rules will become even stricter.
Salmon said the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference has general policies in place for responding to concussions, “but our frame of reference for handling this is always just trusting our local doctor here.”
After the injury, Williams had to go through what he called a “seven day cycle” that included a lot of rest, and staying in.
“The first day, I was supposed to sleep for 24 hours, no TV or anything, and as the days progressed just get back to the normal way of life, like using my phone and everyday things,” Williams said.
Williams went through five straight days of headaches and called the concussion on a scale of one to 10 an eight. According to the IAHSAA for a player to return to the court he or she must complete a seven-step process that includes: Completing physical and rest, returning to everyday activity, light exercising, non-contact training drills, medical clearance, and finally returning to normal competition.
“Before I could return I had to make sure my balance was okay, I had to go to the doctor three times to make sure it was right where is should be, and from there get the okay from the doctor,” Williams said.
Williams and Salmon agree that as the years progress and the risk of concussions go up, it will be considered more serious; there will be more guidelines and rules to follow that minimize the chance of suffering a concussion.
Baltimore Ravens and Super Bowl champion, Bernard Pollard, a defensive back, told ESPN that he believes that football won’t even exist in 30 years because of the nature that it is played and the brain injuries it causes.
Williams said, “You need to start being more careful, and not getting back so early after a concussion, because it can really mess you up in the long run.”