Urgency of concussions taps new resources at Blacksburg High School

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It was a simple enough question. Blacksburg High School director of athletics Jack Hencke asked one of his golfers, “What day is it?”

At first blush, the answer might seem alarming: “I have no idea.”

Hencke wasn’t concerned. It was the middle of the summer. The kid had been out playing golf all day. Lots of kids don’t pay attention to what day it is when they’ve been outside the confines of the school schedule for a month or two.

For that student, in that situation, the answer was normal.

As more emphasis is placed on the hazards of concussions in high school sports, determining exactly what is normal -- and it’s different for everyone -- is a big issue. How do you know if someone has a concussion, or has recovered from one, if you don’t know what normal is for them?

Now schools throughout the region are putting an emphasis on testing student athletes before the season to get a baseline on some of the key assessment tools used for diagnosing a concussion.