Aurora school exemplifies concern about concussions

Perhaps Metea Valley High School in Aurora is a microcosm for what’s going on in pro football, and now, high schools throughout Illinois.

A new state law is aimed at educating parents and coaches on the danger of concussions among young athletes. It also requires student athletes with head injuries to refrain from practice and play until they have been cleared by a licensed health professional.

“With the signing of this law, it makes it imperative that we address the concussion issue,” said Tom Schweer, athletic director at Metea Valley. “That might be new for some schools, but not for (Indian Prairie Unit District) 204. We have been on the front end of this since the beginning.”

District 204 has been treating concussions seriously for years, officials say.

The district even makes cheerleaders participate in advance screening procedures.

Last week, cheerleaders at Metea were given a six-part, 30-minute computer test measuring memory and brain skills by seeing how quickly the students could input numbers and remember names, words and designs.

If one of them sustains or is thought to have sustained a concussion this year, the injured student would retake the test. Until the results look like the baseline and there is clearance from a doctor, the injured cheerleader has to wait to return to her team.

The same goes for athletes in football, soccer, gymnastics, diving, basketball, wrestling, lacrosse and other sports.

Long gone are the days when a football player had “his bell rung” and then is sent back out to play in the fourth quarter.

“No athlete is so important that we want them out there before being cleared,” Schweer said.

Once cleared, Metea athletes are eased back into sports.

“They don’t get to slap the helmet back on their head or jump back into the volleyball game and start playing right away,” he said.

Athletes at District 204 schools must have concussion forms signed by their parents before trying out for or participating in a sport. The handout lists the symptoms of concussions that, beside headaches, include dizziness, blurred vision, fatigue, nausea/vomiting, difficulty concentrating, memory problems, sleep disturbance and mood changes. Symptoms can last for minutes or months.

The school board last week officially made the requirements part of the district’s policy.

Concussions, especially in children and teens, are something to be taken seriously, Metea Valley trainer Joseph Kaufmann said.

“Their brains are still developing,” he said. “Every hit to the head is a blow that could impede someone’s life in the future so we take it seriously.”

Schweer added parents should feel comfortable letting their kids participate in sports because the district is safety conscious. All coaches are trained in how to recognize concussions.

“The care (the kids) get from the athletic trainers is amazing,” he said. “In conjunction with good communication with the parents, we can keep the kids safe.”

Concussions: Students must pass memory test before being cleared to play