Weeks spent lying in a bed sounds like a dream to some, like a break that every high school student wishes for. But the time off many student athletes are forced to take isn’t appealing. These downtimes restrict the use of technology, who you spend time is spent with or driving privileges.

    The number of concussions has dropped in the past season due to athletic trainers and the department working to keep the number low and athletes protected.

    The road to recovery for a person with a concussion is different for each individual. Each case depends on the impact and what happens in the following moments. Whether the person blacks out for seconds or minutes and is taken off the field, or whether the athlete is able to get back up with little to no sign of injury, can be a variable of the concussions severity. Concussions are becoming more of a significant topic due to their growing frequency and the release of the movie Concussion starring Will Smith in 2015.

     Football concussions are common, due to the hard tackles the players receive when they are on the field.     

    “When I got my second concussion, I was pulled out of the game and rushed to the hospital because I was knocked out.” said sophomore Austin Bridenthal, with two football related concussions. “I was out of football and gym class for 4 weeks.”

    And occasionally some faulty equipment that isn’t recognized until it is too late.  

    Although, according to athletic trainer Pete Dewar, during the most reason 2015 season  the number of concussions among NHS athletes there was 17, while last season in 2014 the number was in the 20s.

    “In eighth grade I had a damaged helmet, and I did not notice. Neither did anyone else. I did a one-on-one drill multiple times.” said sophomore Thomas Carroll, sophomore with one football related concussion. “That is what they think gave me a concussion, but I can’t remember.”

    Medical personnel determine an athlete’s limitations are getting the concussion, depending on the severity of the injury. Minor concussions occur where the symptoms last less than 15 minutes with no loss of consciousness. Moderate concussions happen when the symptoms last more than 15 minutes. A moderate concussion could go away in minutes or hours before you are able to return to normal everyday activities. Severe concussions happen when someone looses consciousness for several seconds and requires extensive testing afterwards to ensure that the injury is healed.

    Although students with injuries do get to take weeks off to recover, it isn’t the same as the normal vacation. Their activities are restricted, and most of their time is spent in bed in the dark. Doctors call it “cognitive rest” in order to allow the brain time to heal and rest after sustaining the injury.

    “I was not allowed to watch television or [use] any electronics, and I wasn’t allowed around sound or light in those four weeks,” said sophomore Garret Russell, who suffered a soccer-related concussion.

     The NFL has recently established new rules or guidelines to follow in hopes of preventing any head or neck injuries to keep their players safe. And Reebok creating a “Checklight”is a device that can helps detect potentially dangerous head injuries. Many companies and sports leagues are trying to find a way to keep the popular sport out there while trying to keep the count of concussions and brain injuries as low as possible.