Saturday, February 15, 2014

Whoa!! What happened: Concussions in Club Volleyball?

It is intense, competitive, and can be dangerous. Club volleyball is known around the United States for its ability to showcase great players. It is also a place where many injuries go without notice, for instance Texas Fest February 8-9. Club volleyball, and all its intensity, can be dangerous in its own way. Spiked balls flying at unknown speeds at players, diving for a ball, and collisions are all part of the game and can lead to concussions. In club volleyball, the pressure to win and push through pain does not only come from the coaches. It comes from parents, teammates, and within. Having a coach that is more concerned about winning than a player’s safety can be the most dangerous part of the game. Coaches are taught about concussions, but in the heat of a match, the choice to win may over rule the assessment of a concussion.

A study showed that it is not the first concussion that causes prolonged neurological problems. It is having multiple concussions.1 Where the problems lies is when the first concussion is either misdiagnosed or not treated at all just to win the game.2 Parents are not knowledgeable in the category of concussions, so they leave the decision to the coaches, who in turn make the wrong choice. The guidelines, Natasha's Law, National Athletic Trainers' Association position statements on concussion, and other state laws, set for concussions should be followed:
·          Blackouts head to the emergency room, any sign of a concussion
·          Dizziness
·          Confusion
·          Photophobia(sensitivity to light)
·          Loss of memory
·          Headache
·          Bilateral pain after hit to only one side of the head


1Broshek, D., Samples, H., Beard, J., & Goodkin, H. (2014). Current practices of the child neurologist in managing sports concussions. Journal of Child Neurology, 29(1), 17-22.

2http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1323294/


3King, D., Brughelli, M., Hume, P., & Gissane, C. (2014). Assessment, management and knowledge of sport-related concussion: Systematic review. Sports medicine, 1-23.

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