>>JENNIFER WAUGH: MANY LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ARE RETURNING TO THE FIELD, THE
TRACK OR EVEN THE GYM STARTING
TODAY. AND YOU NEED TO BE
AWARE OF THE WARNING SIGNS OF
CONCUSSION MOMS AND DADS. AND
JUST LAST WEEK WE SAW IN REAL
TIME WHAT CAN HAPPEN DURING
COMPETITIVE SPORTS DURING A
MIAMI MARLINS GAME PITCHER
DANIEL CASTANO WAS HIT THERE
IN THE HEAD BY A LINE DRIVE HE
TRIED TO DUCK. AS YOU SAW,
BALL WAS MOVING 104 MILES PER
HOUR. HE SPENT SEVERAL MINUTES
DOWN ON THE DIAMOND BUT WAS
EVENTUALLY ABLE TO GET BACK
UP. HE WALKED OFF THE FIELD
EFFECT ON HIS OWN. HE WAS
LATER DIAGNOSED WITH A MILD
CONCUSSION AND A BRUISED
FOREHEAD UPSETS EVERYBODY IN
THE GAME, INCLUDING HITTER
RIGHT? SO PARENTS TEND TO
ASSUME THAT FOOTBALL PLAYERS
ARE THE ONLY ATHLETES AT RISK
OF CONCUSSION OR BASEBALL
PLAYERS. THAT’S JUST NOT TRUE.
BOB SEFCHECK EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR OF THE JACKSONVILLE
SPORTS MEDICINE PROGRAM IS
JOINING US LIVE VIA ZOOM THIS
MORNING. GOOD MORNING, BOB.
THANKS FOR BEING WITH US.
>> THANKS THANKS FOR HAVING
ME. AND I CAN’T BELIEVE IT’S
AUGUST. FIRST, FIRST DAY OF
PRACTICE. YOU’RE RIGHT. I DID.
I KNOW THAT SUMMER JUST FLEW
BY. LET ME JUST ASK YOU, I
KNOW THAT I SENT YOU THE VIDEO
OF OF WHAT HAPPENED TO THE
MIAMI MARLINS PICTURE. YOUR
REACTION TO IT.
>> YOU KNOW THAT. SO THAT’S
THE FIRST THING THAT COMES TO
MIND THAT CONCUSSIONS HAPPEN
IN EVERY SPORT. WHENEVER
THERE’S PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
GOING ON, PARTICULARLY IN
BASEBALL ACROSS OTHER SPORTS
LIKE THAT, WHERE THERE’S
PROJECTILES THERE ARE DANGERS
ALL AND WE’VE GOT TO BE VERY
AWARE. I’M CERTAIN INJURIES
THAT COULD OCCUR YOU KNOW,
JUST LIKE CONCUSSION.
>>JENNIFER WAUGH: SO I YOU
KNOW, I MEAN, YOU TOUCHED ON
THIS AND I THINK THAT THIS IS
IMPORTANT BECAUSE THERE IS AN
ASSUMPTION UP, PERHAPS AMONG
PARENTS OF FOOTBALL PLAYERS
THAT THEY NEED TO BE COGNIZANT
AND TALK TO THEIR STUDENT
ATHLETE ABOUT CONCUSSIONS. BUT
AS YOU POINTED OUT, THERE ARE
OTHER SPORTS, MY DAUGHTER.
>> GOT A CONCUSSION, AS YOU
KNOW, 2 YEARS AGO PLAYING
VOLLEYBALL WHEN SHE WAS HIT IN
THE BACK OF THE HEAD BY
SOMEONE WITH WHO WAS SERVING.
>>JENNIFER WAUGH: I MEAN,
CHEERLEADING, FOR EXAMPLE, CAN
YOU RUN THROUGH THE SPORT IN
PARTICULAR HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS
THAT OUR PARENTS NEED TO BE
COGNIZANT OF ABOUT CONCUSSION.
>> YEAH, I’M JUST GOING TO
START OFF BY SAYING VERY
EASILY. ALL SPORTS ON. YOU
MENTIONED A FEW RIGHT THERE.
NORMALLY WE LOOKING AT
DIFFERENT CLASSIFICATIONS OF
SPORTS, WHETHER IT’S
COLLISIONS SPORTS, CONTACT
SPORTS, NON-CONTACT SPORTS,
THOSE HELP US TO FIND SOME OF
THE A SAFETY CONCERN THAT WE
HAVE. BUT BUT THEY’RE ALL YOU
KNOW, THEY’RE ALL VULNERABLE
TO HAVING CONCUSSION TYPE
INJURIES AGAIN, LIKE I
MENTIONED IN BASEBALL, THE
PROJECTILES OR THE NO PHYSICAL
COLLISION CONTACT AND IN
FOOTBALL, YOU MENTIONED
FOOTBALL THERE WE ASSOCIATE
CONCUSSION A LOT WITH FOOTBALL
BECAUSE OF THE COLLISION. AND
BECAUSE OF THE NUMBER OF
PARTICIPANTS BECAUSE OF THE
NOTORIETY THAT FOOTBALL GETS.
BUT BUT UNDOUBTEDLY, I CAN
TELL YOU NEXT YEAR WITH THE
ALREADY YOU’VE EXPERIENCED
JUST LIKE YOU SAID AND
VOLLEYBALL. WE’VE WE’VE HAD
RECORDED CONCUSSIONS IN ALL
SPORTS, INCLUDING SWIMMING SO
A LOT OF PARENTS MAY NOT EVEN
ASSOCIATE CONCUSSION, WHAT
SWIMMING, BUT WE WE HAVE
ACTUALLY HAD, YOU KNOW, A HIGH
RATE OF CONCUSSION WHEN SOME
OF OUR BACKS TRUCKERS THAT ARE
HITTING A WALL ON THEIR TURNS.
SO WE’VE GOT TO BE AWARE.
WE’VE GOT TO BE CONSCIENTIOUS
AND WE’VE GOT TO BE REALLY
WATCHING WHAT’S GOING ON. SO
WE CAN RECOGNIZE SOME OF THOSE
WARNING SIGNS, AS YOU
MENTIONED. YEAH. AND AND
ASKING OUR KIDS TO WHEN THEY
COME HOME IN PARTICULAR SINCE
WE MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN AT THAT
PRACTICE.
>> WHAT ARE THE WARNING SIGNS,
BOB OF CONCUSSIONS OR PARENTS
KNOW WHAT TO ASK? YOU’RE RIGHT
OFF THE BAT. I JUST WANT TO
TELL EVERYBODY TO BE AWARE
WHAT’S GOING ON. AND ONE OF
THE THINGS I’VE BEEN PROMOTING
WITH OUR COACHES LIGHTLY AS
JUST SOMEBODY GRABBING THEIR
HEAD.
>> THERE’S BEEN A COALITION,
OUR CONTACT WITH EQUIPMENT ARE
WITH THE GROUNDER WITH ANOTHER
PERSON AND SOMEBODY, YOU KNOW,
JUST GOES TO GROUND THEIR
HEAD. THE FIRST THOUGHT IS,
OH, MY GOSH, THEY’RE GRABBING
THEIR HEAD BECAUSE IT HURTS.
AND AND THE REALITY IS THEY’RE
NOT. IT WAS JUST AN
INSTINCTUAL MOTION AND WHAT IT
WHAT IT’S TELLING ME IS THAT
SOMEBODY SET THEIR HEAD SO
HARD THAT THAT INSTINCTUALLY
THERE THERE FEELING LIKE
YOU’RE SPENDING. SO THEY GRAB
THEIR HEAD TO STABILIZE IT.
SOMETIMES I CAN HAPPEN VERY,
VERY QUICKLY. AND KID GOES TO
SHAKE IT OFF NEXT BEEN THOSE
ON PLAYING. BUT AS ADULTS THAT
ARE SUPERVISING AS ADULT
CENTER SPECTATING, WE’VE GOT
TO BE AWARE THAT POTENTIAL
INJURY SITUATION HAS OCCURRED
AND WE’VE GOT TO JUMP IN AS
ADULTS AND MAKE THE RIGHT
CHOICE AND GET THAT STUDENT
ATHLETE OUT OF THE GAME. SO WE
CAN MEDICALLY EVALUATE THEM
AND DIZZINESS. OBVIOUSLY
FEELING A FOG. MY DAUGHTER
ALWAYS SAID THAT SHE HAD LIGHT
SENSITIVITY. THOSE ARE SOME
OTHER WARNING SIGNS. BUT I
JUST WANT TO BRING UP AS WE’RE
RUNNING OUT OF TIME.
>>JENNIFER WAUGH: YOU AND I
WORK TOGETHER TO BRING OUR
VIEWERS THE STORY OF PEYTON
SAP 5 YEARS AGO. SO WE HAVE
VIDEO OF THE GAME THAT THIS 15
YEAR-OLD WAS PLAYING. IT WAS
FOOTBALL IS IN OCALA IN OCALA.
IT IS A QUARTERBACK C WE SPOT
SHATTERED IT FOR YOU SEE HOW
HE FELL DOWN AND HIT HIS HEAD.
HARD ON THE GROUND WAS NEVER
PULLED FROM THE GAME. HE KEPT
PLAYING UNTIL IT WAS A REFEREE
WHO FINALLY DECIDED THAT HE
NEEDED TO SIT OUT. WHEN I
INTERVIEWED HIS MOM, SHE
COULDN’T UNDERSTAND WHY NO ONE
HAD PULLED HIM FROM THE GAME
RIGHT AWAY. HE ENDED UP HAVING
TO QUIT PLAYING FOOTBALL
BECAUSE HE SUFFERED FROM BRAIN
DAMAGE. WOULD YOU PLEASE
EXPLAIN WHAT ARE THE
CONSEQUENCES IF A STUDENT
ATHLETE KEEPS PLAYING WITH A
CONCUSSION?
>> HOW DOES ONE OF THE MOST
SCARY SITUATIONS AND AND THIS
VIDEO? IT IS SCARY TO WATCH
BECAUSE SHOWS OUR NEGLIGENCE
AS ADULTS, WHETHER THEIR
COACHES OR OR THE SPECTATORS
THERE. NOBODY STEPPING IN TO
PROTECT THIS YOUNG MAN. SECOND
IMPACT SYNDROME IS IS A A
PHENOMENON THAT OCCURS WHEN A
SECOND BRAIN INJURY HAS BEFORE
THE FIRST ONE HAS AN
OPPORTUNITY COMPLETELY HEAL.
SO CONCUSSION IS A BRAIN
INJURY. AND IF WE ALLOW OUR
STUDENT ATHLETES TO CONTINUE
TO PARTICIPATE AND SUBJECT
THEMSELVES TO 2 ADDITIONAL
INJURIES, INCLUDING ANOTHER
HEAD INJURY. WE COULD HAVE
CATASTROPHIC CONSEQUENCE WITH
THAT. SO DEFINITELY ONE OF THE
BIGGEST THINGS THAT I PROMOTE
IS THAT AWARENESS WE’VE GOT BE
CONSCIENTIOUS OF WHAT’S GOING
ON ON THE FIELD. WE’VE GOT TO
RECOGNIZE WHEN A POTENTIAL
INJURY HAS WE’VE GOT TO REMOVE
THAT KID FROM PLAYING TO
PROTECT THEM FROM ANY FURTHER
INJURY THAT COULD OCCUR LIKE
SECOND IMPACT SYNDROME. THAT
COULD BE CATASTROPHICALLY
DEVASTATING.
>>JENNIFER WAUGH: BOB SEFCHECK
WITH JACKSONVILLE SPORTS
MEDICINE PROGRAM JOINING THIS
MORNING. THANK YOU, BOB. WE
APPRECIATE YOUR TIME THIS
MORNING. AND WE ALSO WANT TO
POINT OUT THAT ALL DUVAL
COUNTY HIGH SCHOOLS HAD
CERTIFIED ATHLETIC TRAINERS
WHO ARE ON THE SIDELINE AND
HELPING TO TAKE CARE OF THE
STUDENT ATHLETE AND
RECOGNIZING SIGNS OF
CONCUSSION. BUT AT THE END OF
THE DAY, IT’S SO IMPORTANT
THAT PARENTS ARE THERE. IT’S
TEAM WORK TO PROTECT OUR KIDS
AND OUR STUDENTS WHO ARE