Concussions are a problem at our university

An anonymous source with a status relevant to the topic stated that concussions are a common problem in the athletics department. It is unclear what sports the individual was referring to. No athletes from any sport other than baseball were willing to speak on the issue.

An anonymous OCU athlete stated, “I personally have never had a concussion in baseball. But I have had teammates in the past who have. They go through our athletic trainers that provide them with concussion protocol that they must pass before returning to play. Personally, I don’t think concussions are a real issue in baseball just because it’s not a contact sport. But our athletic training staff is very good when it comes to concussions and returning us to play safely.”

The athletic trainers have a list of protocols to follow in cases of concussions. Trainers are required to test athletes of various sports for possible concussions before their seasons begin with the SCAT5 test. These sports include baseball, basketball, cheerleading, Pom, soccer, softball, and wrestling.

If an athlete is suspected of having a concussion, the trainers must send them to see the team physician for further evaluation and care. The OCU Student-Athlete Handbook says that no athlete suspected or diagnosed with a concussion will be able to return to their sport the same day. And the athlete will be tested daily to see if they still have symptoms of a concussion. Even if the athlete becomes asymptomatic, if they become symptomatic again at any point, they are required to sit out from playing. In order for an athlete to return to their sport, they must obtain the clearance of the team physician.

Another anonymous OCU athlete who plays baseball stated, “I never had a concussion. Nowadays concussions in baseball are less frequent, some rules changed to prevent that.” One example of a rule change is that contact is no longer allowed at home plate.

The baseball player continued to say, “They [concussions] still happen when a batter is hit in the helmet or when a fielder tries to make a play and runs into the fence. There is a concussion protocol that is realized by our athletic trainers. I don’t think that there is a concussion problem in baseball.”