From the thousands of high school athletes that suffer from concussions every year, Franklin High School (FHS) is taking strides to reduce their impact on those numbers.

According to Athletic Director Coach Sidwell, athletes and parents are more aware of the dangers of concussions in high school sports now more than ever before. Due to this new education, athletes are getting diagnosed quicker, causing an increase in reported concussions in the recent years.

In addition, Coach Sidwell also said: “We [FHS Athletics Department] are very aware of the protocols regarding concussions and try to keep on top of new information.” This is to ensure the safety of our school’s many athletes in contact sports, where concussions are most common. These sports include soccer, lacrosse, hockey, and cheerleading.

After the initial impact to the head that causes a concussion, the person should start to experience symptoms right away. The symptoms include inability to concentrate, forgetfulness, headache, fatigue, and dizziness.

Sara Doherty, a freshman soccer player, started to experience those symptoms right after she got hit with a ball in the back of the head during one of her soccer games. Since then Sara says: “I missed three days of school, and I have been out of soccer for over two and a half weeks and I still can’t go back for one or two maybe even three more weeks.”

According to Nationwide Children’s Hospital Sport Medicine, concussions should be taken seriously, and athletes should seek immediate medical attention after experiencing a blow to the head.

Out of the thousands of high school athletes that suffer from concussions, the FHS Athletic staff is working to reduce their impact on those statistics.