Sophomore soccer player Gabriel Anguiano is a head case. The sophomore suffered a concussion during a makeup game at Boone Grove High School on Oct. 2nd.
Anguiano, completely involved in the game, didn’t see the injury coming.
“I went up to head the ball, and someone struck me in the back of the head. I immediately went down since my neck cracked and I was worried that something might have happened,” he said.
After coming out of the game and days that followed the incident Anguiano began to have concussion-like symptoms.
“I was laying down, it was just the impact that was bothering me. As soon as I attempted to get up, I felt very dizzy and nauseous,” he said. “Coach was supporting me since I couldn’t keep my balance and my legs felt very tingly. Then I began to get bad headaches and my vision was a bit blurry.”
The day after the incident Anguiano took the concussion test that every player is required to take after receiving a blow to the head. Anguiano took the same test at the beginning of the year so the doctors could determine if he had a concussion or not. They could determine this by comparing the two test scores. When the tests came back Anguiano was informed that he had a concussion.
When Anguiano found out, he was disappointed, saying, “I took the news pretty bad. As soon as the doctor told me that it was a concussion, I knew that it meant that I would be out for the remainder of the season. All I wanted to do was get back out there with my team, but my health just wouldn’t allow it.”
Anguiano was out for two weeks, before he was able to return from the injury. When he returned the injury had some lingering effects. These effects where the mental stage; Anguiano was afraid about getting injured again.
Anguiano stressed this saying, “I’ve actually been afraid to go up to head the ball. So I’m not playing with the same confidence I had before, that’s for sure. Hopefully I can get over it soon and play my game.”
Concussions have been the centerpiece for many sports, due to the later effects on the injured persons head. To get many blows to the head can affect a person later in their life. It can do this by mood changes, suicidal thoughts, short memory, and other effects. The NFL has been conducting some recent studies on concussions. This has been to the former players having major effects from many blows to the head and concussions that went unnoticed.
Now players who are diagnosed with a concussion are better taken care of and are not rushed to come back. Every sport takes concussions very seriously and makes sure that the injured player heals properly now. When healed properly, it is then the player’s job to protect himself and try to prevent injuries.
On how he will protect himself, Anguiano says , “I’ll be sure to throw my elbows up as I go up to head the ball every single time. I just always have to protect myself at all times.”