New law could help reduce head injuries in high school athletics

LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - Back in February of 2012, Lafayette Jefferson receiver Reggie Henderson described to NewsChannel 18 what it felt like to experience a concussion.

"It was pretty foggy," said Henderson. "I was pretty much just sitting there looking at my feet because it hurt too bad to look up at the bright lights."

Now, Indiana lawmakers are hoping high school athletes experience those symptoms less often. Effective July 1, any student athlete who receives a head injury or concussion will be immediately removed from play, and cannot return to practice until their coach receives a doctor's note saying they passed a concussion evaluation.

Lafayette Jefferson Athletic Director Mark Preston said he's happy with the new law and believes head injuries should be taken seriously by both parents and student athletes.

"When it comes to sports and the game of life, again, it's just a game when you're playing a sport," Preston. "We need to make sure we're thinking of the long-term effects that these sorts of hits can have on kids well into their future."

Lafayette Jeff Athletic trainer Jeff Clevenger has been an athletic trainer for 26 years. He said he sees concussions most often in football and said he can see anywhere from two to ten concussions in just one season.

Clevenger said if a player goes down, they immediately evaluate them for concussion like symptoms.

"We'll go through a whole list of stuff," said Clevenger. "We'll do some balancing, some memory stuff and ask them a bunch of questions. Where they are, days of the week, forward, backwards, to assess them to see if they do have a concussion."

Yet, Clevenger said some athletes won't show signs of a head injury until days after being hit. He said it's important for student athletes to know that if they don't feel right, something probably isn't right.