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Stories
WASHINGTON POST
Concussion symptoms linger for former soccer star Alecko Eskandarian as he returns to school at Virginia
By Steven Goff
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, September 21, 2010; 8:29 PM
CHARLOTTESVILLE - On the last day of the Early African History course at the University of Virginia this summer, a student built up the courage to approach classmate Alecko Eskandarian and tell him that he had been her favorite player when she attended Cavaliers soccer matches.
"She was 8 years old when she watched me play," he said, smiling. "Man, I felt so old."
Eskandarian, 28, is a full-time student again, resuming course work almost eight years after departing Charlottesville to pursue a pro career that was derailed by a series of concussions.... » Full Article (PDF).
MICHELLE PELTON
Former High School Athlete, Age 19, Swansea, MA
Testimony before the House Education and Labor Committee
“The Impact of Concussions on High School Athletes”
Monday, May 20, 2010 -- "Good Morning! First I would like to thank you for inviting me here today. This is great honor to be here to talk about the affects of a concussion. When I was told about this opportunity, I quickly agreed because I want to make a difference and help athletes be aware of what could happen. Everyone thinks that something like this would never happen to them, I thought the same thing, but I am a perfect example.
I am here today to share with you my traumatic story on how much concussions have affected me and my life. I played my first basketball game when I was just seven years old and instantly fell in love with the sport. (I was even named “rookie of the year”.) That following spring, I had the opportunity to fall in love with softball as well. My life revolved around sports.
In junior high school my basketball coach loved how aggressive I was. But maybe I was too aggressive. A girl from the other team and I collided while fighting for the ball. We both fell to the ground..." » Full Article (PDF).
CAITLIN MONAGHAN
Former high school athlete Garden City, N.Y.
Testimony before the Healthy Families and Communities Subcommittee of the House Committee on Education and Labor
“The Impact of Concussions on High School Athletes: The Local Perspective”
Monday, September 13, 2010 -- "Good morning everyone. Thank you for inviting me here today. This is a wonderful opportunity and one that I could not pass up because as I know concussions are a serious injury and all parties involved in an athletes life need to know the graveness of them.
I had been a dedicated athlete all my life, playing both basketball and soccer from the time I was 6 years old. I loved being active and even more loved being part of a team. In many ways, being a serious athlete was expected in my town. Parents and children crowded the fields starting from Saturday mornings up until Sunday nights and as we got older our school weeks were filled with long practices and games.
It was in 7th grade when I experienced my first concussion. I had been tripped in a soccer game and ended up on the ground only to have an opposing player kick me in the head. Though today I don't remember all the details of what my parents did or what my coaches did, I do remember suffering from headaches and experiencing sensitivity to light for a few weeks. I rested and was back on the field ignoring any laboring symptoms." ...» Full Article (PDF).
CATHY POPYER, a New Jersey mother whose daughter, Niki, suffered mulitple concussions playing basketball.
February. 2010 -- "My daughter has had 11 concussions and is just a shadow of her former self. Just to be clear, several of them were sustained since she stopped playing basketball and some were classified as concussions in retrospect. Basketball has consumed her life since she was in pre-school. She started playing for our township rec league at 8. By 9, she was playing up a year on a nationally competitive AAU team.
As she got older, her interest and participation expanded, as did the hours she donated to it. Over the years, she worked with coaches and trainers in her own effort to be the very best she could be. She battled the usual sprains and strains, broken fingers and nose, and even chronic knee pain. She never once chose a social activity over basketball, always willing and eager to work on her game. Everything she did was leading up to playing in high school, which would fulfill her first important goal." ...» Full Article (PDF).
NIKI POPYER, who joined Abby in Washington D.C.
"For as long as I can remember, I wanted to play basketball. I have devoted all my energy to perfecting my skills and improving my ability. I worked with shooting coaches and trainers and played on any teams that were available at my age levels. In season, I kept sharp by working out, practicing and playing. In the off season, I attended classes and camps just so I could learn as much as possible. Over the years, I played for various coaches. I was lucky that my dad had the knowledge and interest to offer to coach my first travel team for my home town. We built a team then when I was 9 that stayed together until our last eligible season as 13's. Four of us went on to play together in high school. We were very lucky to be able to play together all these years and develop strong relationships on and off the court.
I was supposed to play with them. Now I can't. I have played with numerous sprains, strains, broken bones, when I was sick, and when I was tired. I chose to fit my life into basketball instead of fitting basketball into my life." ...» Full Article (PDF).
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