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Concussion Issue Comes to High Schools

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Because of a particularly violent weekend in the NFL, the News Cycle of the Week is concussions and head injuries in football. I mentioned earlier in the summer that a national high school sports governing board had lowered the standards for a player to return to a game once they have a concussion on the field.

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Texas has already been at the forefront of taking strong stances for player safety, especially in this issue. If a player suffers a concussion, even the lowest grade, he's out for seven days. And when I say out, I mean can't even practice, lift weights, no physical activity at all. Earlier this week, the UIL took steps to clarify and specifically spell out what it takes for a player to be ruled out.

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As Jenny Dial points out here, it's the initial diagnosis of a concussion that's the real issue. Doctors and coaches need to start setting up these baseline tests with players, so they can more easily determine when a head injury has occurred. Dial also took a baseline test herself and points out just what a doctor has to look for that might be out of the ordinary. It may be hard, but it's definitely necessary and I'm glad the UIL is taking steps in the right direction.

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