Staff writers
The meeting to kick of fall sports for the 2018-2019 school occurred on Tuesday, June 5. The Athletic Director, Kris Foulke, kicked off the presentation with an enthusiastic start as he warmly welcomed a guest speaker. The presentation consisted of a TED talk as well as several instructions on taking the ImPACT test (Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing).
Student athletes are required to take the ImPACT test no matter what sport they are playing. This test is the most popular concussion test taken in high schools.
The ImPACT test is not meant to measure intelligence. It is supposed to serve as a reference, to understand whether or not someone has a concussion. Due to the sometimes extreme conditions of playing sports, coaches will require an athlete to take the ImPACT test again after a player has hit their head. If the score of the first test varies widely from the second test, the athlete should immediately stop playing their sport and seek medical attention.
The ImPACT test is providing a safer environment for students.
Hopefully this helpful tool will prevent diseases like CTE. CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy), is a degenerative disease often found in athletes who have suffered repetitive brain traumas.
CTE is so common it was found in 110 of 111 deceased NFL Football players. It is extremely important to implement a tool like the ImPACT test to further prevent ourselves from extreme head injuries.
