Injured Athlete- Prayers Needed

Parent Cafe
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<p>Please keep my son’s classmate in your prayers. This is such a tragedy. My son lost a classmate at a previous school to a football injury, so this is unbelievable.</p>

<p>BLAIRSTOWN — A Blair Academy football player from Blairstown was medevaced to Morristown Memorial Hospital with an apparent head injury after being hit by an opposing player in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s game. </p>

<p>Blair Academy Headmaster Chandler Hardwick did not want to speculate on the exact nature of the injury to senior Kurt Socha, but “it appears the injury is brain trauma or head trauma,” Hardwick said. </p>

<p>A nursing supervisor at Morristown Memorial said Socha’s condition could not be released because he is a minor. </p>

<p>A helicoptor landed in an adjacent soccer field about 45 minutes after the incident and departed 15 minutes later. Hardwick said Socha underwent surgery Saturday night as soon as a neurosurgeon was available at the hospital. </p>

<p>“The feeling is that it’s going to be day-to-day the next three days,” Hardwick said. “I’m cautiously hopeful and optimistic the medical attention he’s receiving (Saturday night) and the medical attention he received when it first happened will bring him back to us quickly, but we don’t know right now.” </p>

<p>Hardwick said the response by Blairstown police and emergency workers was “extraordinary.” </p>

<p>Blair led its game against Pennsylvania opponent The Hill School, 38-20, and was on defense when the incident occurred with just under five minutes left in the fourth quarter. </p>

<p>Socha, who plays linebacker on defense, was trailing a ball carrier away from the play when he was hit by a Hill player. The hit was probably unexpected, Hardwick said. </p>

<p>Hardwick, who did not see the hit, said he believes the Hill player’s helmet made contact with Socha’s chin. He stressed that no penalty was called on the play. </p>

<p>According to the accounts of teammates, Socha was “knocked immediately unconscious,” Hardwick said. </p>

<p>When the potential seriousness of the injury was apparent, both sides agreed to call the game.</p>

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<p>that is awful. I know several kids at Blair.</p>

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<p>So scary. I love football but these freak incidents are frightening. I hope this boy will be OK.</p>

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<p>Oh, I will keep him in my prayers. Please keep us updated on his progress. My son played football for 4 years - nose guard and center - alternating ofense and defense - so I was nervous every second (until he was forced to quit when he transferred to a quaker school without football - thank goodness).</p>

<p>I remember being on the sideline wringing my hands. It’s a brutal game. </p>

<p>This (your son’s classmate’s situation) was my greatest fear. I recall holding my breath each time a kid went down and didn’t immediately get up. </p>

<p>I’ll pray for a full recovery.</p>

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<p>In one of those terrible coincidences- it was my sister’s boss’s son who hit the Blair player. The Hill boy is a big kid who has signed with Duke for lacrosse. He is devastated at what happened.</p>

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<p>oooh mowc !!
Keep us posted of his status. Head injury is nasty stuff! Thoughts are with you.</p>

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<p>I am so sorry for your son’s friend. It is terrible when these things happen for all involved.</p>

<p>However, I do want to respond to jrpar’s post – this is hardly a “freak” incident. From what I can find out, there currently are an average of 4 fatal injuries per year in high school football related to head injuries sustained during tackling:

See National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research, <a href=“http://www.unc.edu/depts/nccsi/SurveyofFootballInjuries.htm[/url]”>http://www.unc.edu/depts/nccsi/SurveyofFootballInjuries.htm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>I do not want my comment to be interpreted as a criticism or attack of the game or an effort to blame the player – I just am trying to say that it is no more a “freak” incident when a football player is severely injured or dies than it is when a teenage driver is involved in a fatal collision. It is a rare but ordinary risk of the game. Football is potentially dangerous sport with a risk of injury. According to the article I cited above, the risk is statistically very small - the rate of direct fatalities in 2004 was 0.28 per 100,000 participants - and organizations like NCCSIR are focused on helping to reduce the risk further by making appropriate recommendations. </p>

<p>Again, I hope my remarks are not misinterpreted. None of this lessens the pain and hardship that the family is facing. Nor is it possible for any one of us to lead a risk-free life. I just felt that rather than look at things like this as “freak” incidents, more good will be done by studying why these accidents take place and working to prevent them in the future, whether through changes in game rules or coaching practices, or through development of better protective gear.</p>

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<p>Just last month a player at our high school suffered a severe head injury when his helmet came off and he was hit hard. They put him in a drug-induced coma, and two days later, he awoke, raring to get back on the field. The doctors couldn’t believe it – almost a miraculous recovery. He was cleared to play again, and in the last home game of the season (on Friday night) he scored three touchdowns! Just a ray of hope for you that not all of these injuries have a sad outcome. My prayers are with your son’s teammate.</p>

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<p>MOWC
That’s just awful for both boys involved. It’s every parent’s worst nightmare. Please keep us posted!</p>

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<p>MOWC- I will certainly keep both boys in my prayers. FWIW we lived very close to Blair Academy and know that Morristown Memorial is a wonderful hospital. He should be getting great care.</p>

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<p>MOWC, my thoughts will be with all involved. </p>

<p>Calmom, I agree with you. People seem to forget, or maybe even ignore, the dangers of sport. Of course, there are many risks we take each day without verbalizing them but it’s always sad when these catastrophic sports injuries happen. It’s true that they happen more often than we like to think.</p>

<p>willsmom, I can’t imagine anyone allowing a child who had suffered a severe head injury to return to playing football again less than a month later! That sounds negligent to me and bordering on insanity!</p>

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<p>Thanks, everyone. I don’t have an update on Kurt’s condition, but the Blair community is doing an amazing job of supporting the students and the family. The leadership and compassion at that school are exactly why we chose to send our son so far from home.<br>
Unfortunately, there are allegations that it was a “cheap shot”, but a faculty member told me that it appeared to be “in the flow”. The Hill boy is grief-stricken, and certainly never meant to do any harm.<br>
I suspect there might be some helmet issues. There have been some advances, and I am not sure whether the helmets used by Blair are the very latest.</p>

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<p>Agreed, but then again I watched the Patriots game last night and heard the announcers going on and on about how tough and dedicated Teddy Bruschi was for returning to football after a stroke. Bruschi’s a grown man and that decision is his to make, but I know that there are a lot of kids out there who see something like this and the only message they take away is that to be a truly elite player you have to “tough it out” when your hurt. That was certainly the mentality when I played back in the Dark Ages, and I think it’s only gotten more extreme. Guys at all levels play with “minor” concussions all the time now.</p>

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<p>Head injuries are dangerous
I had a friend when I was in high school who was in a car accident
He had a slight concussion- was looked at and released.
About 10 days later a clot in his brain dislodged and killed him.
So head injuries I agree must be monitored closely no matter what the pressure is on athletes for owners to get their moneys worth.</p>

<p>However- our family participates in sports that could be viewed as dangerous. Rock climbing, skiing, surfing, snowboarding, even soccer and biking. If one of us had an injury and had recovered enough to continue, I would hope I wouldn’t say no.</p>

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<p>Iderochi, I know about Tedy, I watched the game last night! :slight_smile: The difference is, though, that he didn’t return to activity for eight months, and, as you stated, he’s an adult who is able to make those decisions in conjunction with his many doctors, who likely are tops in their field. That’s quite a different situation than a high school athlete who has to be put into a drug-induced coma due to a severe head injury and then returns to playing less than a month later. That doesn’t sound like a minor concussion to me.</p>

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<p>Very sorry to hear that and I hope he pulls through OK. My HS (North Hunterdon) played Blair in a number of sports and it is a great school.</p>

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<p>Prayers coming from our family. Our son played football during his time at Hill and with the young man you refer to.<br>
Football is a collision sport and accidents do happen. We can only hope for a full recovery for this young man.</p>

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<p>will remember him in my prayers. Miracles do happen with head injury and I have seen them great things happen even months after the injury.</p>

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<p>No updates on Kurt’s condition. The official word is that the “hit” was fair, although the Blair kids are still angry (which is to be expected). The Hill boy is really suffering, too, and both schools are working together to keep the focus on the important thing- the unfortunate injury to the Blair athlete and prayers for his recovery. Thanks, everyone.</p>

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<p>Regarding the boy with the head injury/induced coma and his return to the field - that would not happen here - severe concussion would have side-lined him for the season - by current rules here.</p>

<p>My heart goes out to this boy in the hospital - and to his family as well as the student involved in the play - this is a very difficult time for all.</p>

<p>I remember when I was single and no kids - taking care of 2 high school kids who were injured for life - one from football and one from hockey - and I swore my kids - if I had any - would not be playing those sports. When I got married - my hubby thought I was a wimp - but I held firm - would NOT sign the papers - just remembering those kids in the hospital. They are the 2 toughest/most contact sports for kids and the injuries can be substantial and end careers/lives before they even begin. SOOOOO glad my kiddos chose other directions - both athletes but… - altho I have one very adventurous one - I say a prayer every single day to keep that one safe.</p>

<p>I agree tho - we all take chances every day - just walking out of your house - one never knows. Thoughts and prayers…</p>