Many sports that are considered high risk for concussion can be played at the professional level. This puts a lot of pressure on athletes from an early age to be competitive. In order to make it big, some athletes feel pressure from their parents, coaches, teammates, and even themselves. Regardless of their ambitions, missing games— no matter how few—can affect an athlete’s chances of success.

Many athletes, parents, coaches, and even qualified athletic trainers don’t see concussion as a brain injury. They may also see it as a single event that an athlete will completely recover from. Research now shows that repeated concussions might lead to the loss of brain function over time. Multiple concussions may lead to long-term problems, and returning to play too soon may put an athlete at risk for other health issues, including what some call Second Impact Syndrome (SIS). Others believe that any head trauma in rare circumstances can trigger the brain swelling associated with SIS in vulnerable individuals.

This adds to the risk that athletes may not recognize that their symptoms might be due to concussion.

An athlete does not need to lose consciousness to have a concussion. But since many people don’t know this, athletes are often sent back to play within minutes of being on the bench. Others may sit out the rest of the game, but are not sent to a doctor for follow-up.