CENTERVILLE -- Hard hits can definitely lead to concussions, but so can the hits that seem to be minor.
"It's typically the unseen hit that causes the most severe injuries, in my experience," Fairmont Athletic Trainer Robin Lensch said.
"It's the movement of the brain within the skull that's why you hear people talk about strengthening the neck muscles," said Belinda Isaac of NeuroRehab and Balance Center.
And while football gets the most attention, just about every sport is fair game.
"You could have a collision that you didn't see and you could've sustained a concussion just from hitting the ground and that can happen in any sport: basketball, potentially volleyball, tennis," said Lensch.
"Sometimes, kids will have concussions and not even realize that's what happened to them," said Isaac.
State Senators have approved a bill that will provide free education to parents, coaches and athletes on how to recognize signs of concussions and give them the best care.
The measure requires coaches or officials to remove a player from a game or practice if the athlete shows signs of a concussion.
"If we were to send them back into play when they were still recovering from that injury, there could be a very devastating injury that could occur, and that's why this is so important, educating parents, educating coaches," said Lensch.
Once the athletes are pulled, they would need approval from a doctor to return to play, and most doctors have a standard of five days of testing.
"There's really no downside to being more conservative, the athlete may be a little frustrated," said Lensch.
Signs players and coaches may use before taking a player out of a game include loss of consciousness, amnesia, headaches and nausea. But it could also include less severe symptoms like a drastic change in personality. For example, if a player is unusually angry or emotional.
Web Links: Learn more about the bill and how to prevent concussions
Ohio Athletic Trainers' Association
US National Library of Medicine - National Institutes of Health
"It's typically the unseen hit that causes the most severe injuries, in my experience," Fairmont Athletic Trainer Robin Lensch said.
"It's the movement of the brain within the skull that's why you hear people talk about strengthening the neck muscles," said Belinda Isaac of NeuroRehab and Balance Center.
And while football gets the most attention, just about every sport is fair game.
"You could have a collision that you didn't see and you could've sustained a concussion just from hitting the ground and that can happen in any sport: basketball, potentially volleyball, tennis," said Lensch.
"Sometimes, kids will have concussions and not even realize that's what happened to them," said Isaac.
State Senators have approved a bill that will provide free education to parents, coaches and athletes on how to recognize signs of concussions and give them the best care.
The measure requires coaches or officials to remove a player from a game or practice if the athlete shows signs of a concussion.
"If we were to send them back into play when they were still recovering from that injury, there could be a very devastating injury that could occur, and that's why this is so important, educating parents, educating coaches," said Lensch.
Once the athletes are pulled, they would need approval from a doctor to return to play, and most doctors have a standard of five days of testing.
"There's really no downside to being more conservative, the athlete may be a little frustrated," said Lensch.
Signs players and coaches may use before taking a player out of a game include loss of consciousness, amnesia, headaches and nausea. But it could also include less severe symptoms like a drastic change in personality. For example, if a player is unusually angry or emotional.
Web Links: Learn more about the bill and how to prevent concussions
Ohio Athletic Trainers' Association
US National Library of Medicine - National Institutes of Health