HAPPY 2018! It's -13F in Central Iowa today. Looking forward to some Texas weather and soccer games in a couple of weeks!
LInks to the past can be found here: https://www.bigsoccer.com/threads/best-story-of-your-week-2017.2037901/
As 2018 begins, I don't think I will be doing any matches this year. I suffered another concussion on the pitch doing DA games in September, and my season was practically over before it started. This last concussion was my 6th in 6 years and may have briefly knocked me out. I tried to do one more match a few weeks after that and then shut it down for the season. I'm not planning to do any games this entire year (still don't feel like I've fully recovered) so I'll have to live vicariously through all of you. Please keep the stories coming, and I hope to get back to reffing one day real soon.
Dang - I think you told us back when it happened, but how did it happen? You were ref'ing? What about the previous five? (Hockey maybe?)
Sorry to hear that @elonpuckhog. I’ve had several concussions as a referee and understand how big an impact they have on every aspect of life. Let us know if there is anything we can do to support you!
My first concussion was sustained when I was rear ended on my way to watch a US Open Cup Game. 2nd was 18 months later. I was CR for a U11 game and I think I tripped over a player (not sure exactly what happened). Head didn't hit the ground but I was woozy finishing that match (less than 10 minutes left and no, I shouldn't have finished the game). Third was at a 3 v 3 tourney. I had my water next to one of the goals so I could find it quickly at halftime. I went to get a drink at halftime, someone went on the field to shoot at the goal, missed the goal and nailed me in the back of my head. Fourth was when I banged my head against an open cabinet in our new home while trying to do laundry (yeah - great story). Fifth was the DA game. I was solo and the one team scored to tie it at 1-1 about midway through the first half. I had my book out recording the goal and as they tried to move the ball back to midway they nailed me in the head. I had no idea it was coming. So I guess its 5 in 5 years, not 6. Most of them soccer related. I don't intend to retire forever, but I am taking this year off. Hope you all have a great 2018, and you never know if I might be watching your match (USL, PDL, MLS, etc)
Such is the nature of concussions- once you have one, less impact causes more severity with every subsequent hit. I hope you get back out there one day soon. I’m not a real “herb” guy but there is animal evidence that omega 3 fatty acid supplementation can reduce chemical markers of neuronal damage from impact. Maybe something to consider before you get back in the saddle. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/15672635/
I'm trying not to get on that train. I was ice skating on Christmas eve, took an awkward fall, and whacked my head solidly on the ice. I didn't black out and was pretty steady when I got up (steady is relative when it comes to ice skates), but I've been taking it really easy since then. I won't have any games until the end of February so I'm going to take another week off before I resume training. Best of luck @elonpuckhog for a full recovery.
Right on. It is important not to risk another concussion until you are absolutely symptom free. People get REALLY f’d up when they get another concussion while healing from the first. You can even do a scat test to track your progress- and yes, there is an app for that- but of course unless you did it before your concussion you’ll not really know when you are truly back to baseline. Of course this is all good as reminder in the coming year for us all to be really aware of concussion risks for youth, and what our competitions specify are our duties/responsibilities.
Is there a particular app you would recommend? This would be extremely useful for me, even if I don't have a baseline...
I don’t have any personal experience with any of them... it’s been some years since I went through this with my son, but I know the scat test has been updated/modified since then.
Many schools are getting more aware of the importance of baseline testing. My son's school require all students (not just athletes, all students) to do baseline testing--I believe they re-do it every year. But as I understand it (limited), the point of the baseline testing is what the name implies--it creates a baseline against which to measure deficit or recovery. I don't know that the testing now would be of value without having that baseline (uninjured) measurement to track against. I hope you are seeing a good doctor. To my lay ears, five in five years is a lot. I would hope a good doctor could give you far better advice that a bunch of referees. Best wishes on a full and complete recovery.
Five in five years is a LOT. My younger daughter had three in 18 months, the last of which involved being hit in the face with a discus. She spent the next two years essentially in her room with the curtains drawn. We were VERY ignorant about concussions, since this was before all of the required training about recognizing the signs and symptoms of concussion. We went from doctor to doctor, looking for 'the cure.' I learned more about neurology than I ever imagined I would know. We finally ended up with the doctor we should have gone to the first time (I had known him a little as a kid and worked with his wife on a major legal case. He's a graduate of Harvard Medical School) and he helped her tremendously. Eventually, she was able to go back to school. She says that her head still "gets fuzzy" about three or four times a year, but she's doing well now, after a very long slog.
I did about a 40 minute run Sunday on trails in the Peters Canyon Park, in Santa Ana CA. The last time I was there, I saw a roadrunner. It's hard to remember that roadrunners are not actually anywhere near the size of coyotes. About 70 degrees, some high thin clouds. Played with the 8 month old grandson and pitched horse shoes with my son-in-law. Read "Shoe Dog," the autobiography of Phil Knight. Life is good. I did
I kick off with two high school on Friday and a good men's amateur game on Saturday. The good news is that it will be in the 50s, a nice change from Christmas in Chicago
High School in Nebraska is coming up in the spring. I've been preparing with high school indoor and men's amateur indoor. Wrapped up with 249 outdoor games in 2017 and 27 indoor/futsal games.
It's ten degrees in Atlanta this morning. I have another load of firewood coming today. With any luck I won't have any games until the February thaw.
In the midst of a heat wave here, currently 14F. Am putting in motion a Grade 8 class for early February to herald the arrival of my next crop of urchins.
I hope for a thaw in February. My first games are usually the SSA tournament the second weekend of February. I'm told it has been more than a few years where there was thick frost on the fields for that tournament and "we may be due."
Uh... @Law5 You may have to increase your efforts at recruiting new young refs as you may lose a few older ones.