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Concussion Awareness in Youth Sports A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury, or TBI, caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head that can change the way your brain normally works. Concussions can also occur from a blow to the body that causes the head to move rapidly back and forth. Concussions can occur in any sport or recreation activity. A concussion can have long term impacts on young athletes such as their health, memory, learning and even their survival. This has led to a new effort to improve prevention, recognition and response to sports-related concussion. To help ensure the health and safety of young athletes, many youth sports have begun an awareness campaign to offer information about concussions to coaches, parents, and athletes involved in youth sports. US Youth Soccer built a FREE online education course to create a basic understanding of concussions. Parents, players, administrators and coaches alike can take the course training for free and learn more about this issue.
To get started, click the link below to create your free account: https://education.usyouthsoccer. org/members/register/ The following are a list of symptoms that may suggest a concussion has occurred. - Headache - Confusion - Difficulty remembering or paying attention - Balance problems or dizziness - Feeling sluggish, hazy, foggy, or groggy - Feeling irritable, more emotional, or “down” - Nausea or vomiting - Bothered by light or noise - Double o blurry vision - Slowed reaction time - Sleep problems - Loss of consciousness
What Should You Do If You Think a Concussion Has Occurred? 1. Seek medical attention right away - A health care professional will be able to decide how serious the concussion is and when it is safe to return to play. 2. Do not return to play until medically cleared - Concussions take time to heal. Don't return to play until a health care professional says it's OK. Children who return to play too soon while their brain is still healing risk a greater chance of having a second concussion. Second or later concussions can be very serious. They can cause permanent brain damage, affecting the injured studentathlete for a lifetime. 3. Inform all coaches about any recent concussions - Coaches should know if an athlete has had a recent concussion. The coach may not know about a concussion in another sport or activity if he or she is not informed by the parent, guardian or athlete. Thank you for your interest in learning more about concussions and their effect on young athletes.
Pro Soccer: NASL approves Oklahoma City, Jacksonville as expansion sites The Oklahoma City team will begin play in the spring of 2015. The team will play home games at refurbished Taft Stadium.
BY RHIANNON WALKER, Staff Writer, rwalker@opubco.com • Modified: July 25, 2013 at 5:04 pm • Published: July 25, 2013 The North American Soccer League's Board of Governors on Thursday unanimously approved expansion franchises in Oklahoma City and Jacksonville, Fla. Both franchises will begin play in the 2015 spring season. OKC Pro Soccer LLC has secured the rights to play games at Taft Stadium, which can be seen
OKC Pro Soccer LLC has secured the rights to play games at Taft Stadium, which can be seen here, photographed Wednesday, July 24, 2013. Photo by David McDaniel, The Oklahoman
here, photographed Wednesday, July 24, 2013. Photo by David McDaniel, The Oklahoman The NASL board received presentations from groups representing four prospective expansion cities as part of two days of meetings being held in Dallas. “We are delighted to be expanding to two cities that clearly have a passion for soccer, where we believe local fans will be excited to welcome our newest teams,” said NASL commissioner Bill Peterson. “We have considered expansion to cities that meet specific criteria and most importantly have strong ownership groups that will provide a long see Pro Soccer, on page 19