Kids and Concussions

ZIONSVILLE, Ind. (WISH) - When Guerin Catholic played its sectional championship game, starting quarterback, Colin Shanteau, stood on the sidelines.

“The doctor said in no way shape or form should he be playing,” said Guerin Athletic Director Chris Buhler.

The reason? A concussion.

17-year-old Nick Reinhart understands. He wears a purple gorilla costume now instead of a football uniform. Instead of playing, he’s the team’s biggest fan.

“I wasn't able to play this year, so I decided I'd just go in the stands and fire up the crowds,” said Nick.

His former teammates are playing a game he'll likely never play again.
Nick has now taken up golf. Doctors advised him against playing football after having four concussions in two years.

“This year is really upsetting,” Nick said. “But then my dad doesn't want me to play anymore for the rest of my life which is really awful.”

Nick’s dad, who is also named Nick, remembers a recent visit to a doctor’s office.

“For me personally, what I remember when we left the office was that he cannot get a fifth concussion. He cannot get a fifth concussion,” Nick, Sr. recalled. “You have to do everything you can to avoid that and that is what rings in my ears. You've got a kid that wants to do something and he loves it and you want him to do well. But you've got to do what a parent is supposed to do and you got to protect your kids.”

“It's a big deal injury,” said Nick’s doctor, Patrick Kersey.

He believes concussions happen more often than you'd think.

“I bet you in a normal high school game or even practice there's probably 2 or 3 low grade concussions happening,” Dr. Kersey said.

It’s why Dr. Kersey started the Indiana Sports Concussion Network. He believes concussions can be more dangerous the younger you are.

“We do understand that the younger brain or the developing brain may be more sensitive to brain injury or low grade brain trauma than the more mature brain,” Dr. Kersey said.

In the short-term, concussions can give a person headaches, make them dizzy, tired and confused. Click here for more symptoms of concussions.

Research shows multiple concussions can have devastating long-term effects including permanent brain damage and even early onset of dementia.

There's even a link between brain injuries in children and a diagnosis of ADHD.

Dr. Kersey believes ImPACT testing is the key to limiting the effects of concussions. ImPACT testing is a software program used by professional football teams to test neurocognitive skills.

“It kind of goes through how the brain is operating, how it's functioning under some levels of mental stress,” said Dr. Kersey.

Indiana high school players like Nick are now taking the online test.

Dr. Kersey recommends athletes take it before starting a sport so results can be compared before and after a concussion.

Guerin High School uses the testing method.

“It takes the guesswork out of it,” said Buhler. “It takes the parents out of it.”

Dr. Kersey believes the key to limiting long-term negative effects is making sure a player doesn’t return to activity too quickly.

“What we want to make sure of is that you get resolution to the original injury so that you're not more susceptible or have a heightened sensitivity to a second injury,” said Kersey.

An injury to a Washington teen, Zach Lystedt, forced Washington state to create a law requiring a doctor's note before a teen can return to a sport after a concussion. Indiana has not considered a similar law.

Indiana has no requirement that a doctor's note is needed for an athlete to return to the game after a concussion.

There is also no rule that someone on the sidelines is trained to spot and treat concussions. That's the case not only in high school games but also in youth football leagues.

So, Dr. Kersey and fellow doctor Todd Arnold want to make parents and coaches aware of the real and lasting dangers of concussions. The doctors recently shared their message at a youth hockey league.

“I had always thought that for a concussion that a kid would be out, unconscious, said hockey parent Mike Lalioff. “I didn't know what else to look for.”

As for Nick, he now knows the realities of concussions. He says he'll stick with his driver rather than a football.

“Some people are still like, you should just play. And I'm, like, really? It's just dumb,” he said about the reaction from some of his friends.

“Again, like anything in life, until it hits you personally, then that's when you wake up,” said Nick, Sr.