By Susan McCabe

For The Beachcomber

Imagine you’re the parent of a healthy, athletic 13-year-old boy who wants more than anything to play football. So you let him play on his junior high team.

He plays with commitment, and during one Saturday game, he’s hit hard on the field, knocked nearly unconscious. But he’s tough and wants to play, so his coach sends him back into the game — only for him to be hit hard a second time.

He makes it through the game, but collapses when the final whistle blows, victim of a severe concussion. Miraculously, your boy lives, but brain damage from the concussion has confined this budding young athlete to a wheelchair and restricted his motor capabilities — probably for the rest of his life.

This happened to Maple Valley resident Zackery Lystedt and his parents two years ago, and Zackery’s story spawned a new state law that bears his name.

The law, signed by Gov. Chris Gregoire in July, recognizes that most people don’t truly understand the risks inherent in concussion. So it mandates that a doctor give the OK before a student who suffers a head injury is allowed back on the playing field. The hope is that this law and associated prevention programs will work to protect the health of young athletes.

Here on Vashon, the school and park districts are working with young athletes’ parents, coaches and sports organizations to assure that all those who can prevent severe injury from concussions have the information they need to do so effectively.

We have distributed state-provided concussion management information to all youth sports clubs that use Vashon Commons’ athletic fields and gyms. This information is also available on the Vashon Park District Web site at vashonparkdistrict.org.

The Washington Interschol-astic Activities Association (WIAA) has produced an excellent video that we encourage all volunteer coaches and any other interested parties to watch. The video is online at www.wiaa.com/lystedt/default.htm.

We’re taking this prevention opportunity seriously, perhaps even overzealously. Consequently, if you’re a parent of a young athlete, you may be asked to sign concussion information sheets from both the school and the park district. If you’re a coach and a parent, you’ll be asked twice or more. But don’t despair. It’s better you be well armed with information than uninformed. And it’s in that spirit of full coverage that we offer this information:

What is a concussion? A concussion is a brain injury — think “bruise” on a tender vital organ. By their very nature, all brain injuries are serious. They are caused by a bump, blow or jolt to the head or by a blow to another part of the body with the force transmitted to the head. They can range from mild to severe and can disrupt the way the brain normally works.

Even though most concussions are mild, all concussions are potentially serious and may result in complications, including prolonged brain damage and death if not recognized and managed properly. Even a “ding” or a bump on the head can be serious.

You can’t see a concussion, and most sports concussions occur without loss of consciousness. Signs and symptoms of concussion may show up right after the injury or take hours or days to fully appear. If your child reports any concussion symptoms or if you notice symptoms or signs yourself, seek medical attention right away. All those signs and symptoms are listed at vashonparkdistrict.org.

Continuing to play with concussion symptoms leaves a young athlete especially vulnerable to greater injury. There is an increased risk of significant damage from a concussion for a period of time after it occurs, particularly if the athlete suffers another concussion before completely recovering from the first. This can lead to prolonged recovery, or even to severe brain swelling with devastating and even fatal consequences.

Adolescent athletes often under-report symptoms of injuries. So coaches, parents and fellow students must be on the alert.

Any athlete even suspected of suffering a concussion should be removed from the game or practice immediately. According to the Zackery Lystedt Law, no athlete may return to activity after an apparent head injury or concussion, regardless of how mild it seems or how quickly symptoms abate, without the clearance of a qualified medical professional. Close observation should continue for several hours.

In other words, “When in doubt, pull them out.” And, no one gets back in the game without a doctor’s OK. Working together, we can assure there are no Zackery Lystedt incidents in our community.

— Susan McCabe is Vashon Park District’s program coordinator. Wendy Paridon, the park district’s facilities coordinator, contributed to this article.