GCS coaches attend concussion clinic

All of the fall coaches at Gowanda Central School attended a clinic entitled "Heads Up! Concussion In Youth Sports" following their practice sessions on Aug. 23.

The one-hour clinic featured five sections covering the topic with a series of test questions after each chapter. Coaches received a certificate of acknowledgement at the end of the clinic.

With head injuries in sports on the rise, concussions have become the number-one concern in contact sports such as football. The clinic will help each of the coaches on the GCS staff to better understand the nature of a concussion. It also provided information on how to give a baseline test to determine if one of their players may have suffered a concussion.

Although equipment and coaching techniques continue to improve for contact sports, high school athletes today are bigger, faster and stronger. The result has been more violent collisions between players that have led to an increase in concussions. The same clinic will be held for the winter and spring coaches before they begin their regular season schedule this academic year.

Concussions have long been overlooked especially in the sport of football. It wasn't until the late 1960s that high schools offering football converted their helmets from laminated leather to fiberglass. Athletes who wore those special leather helmets would often complain of a headache after making contact with another player. It was commonly referred to as "getting your bell rung." Most players would return to action after taking a few plays off. Not anymore! If a player complains of such symptoms, they are removed from the game and will not return until cleared by a physician.

The Gowanda Central School coaching staff has become more cognizant of the severity of head injuries.With the knowledge obtained from the Heads Up! clinic, they will take every precaution to make sure their players are not sent back into a practice session or game if they suspect a concussion may have occurred.