{"id":24859,"date":"2024-03-04T14:54:25","date_gmt":"2024-03-04T14:54:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/test11.f5test.in.ua\/personal-stories\/teammate-of-the-year-lynn-kleyer\/"},"modified":"2024-09-17T11:52:00","modified_gmt":"2024-09-17T11:52:00","slug":"teammate-of-the-year-lynn-kleyer","status":"publish","type":"stories","link":"https:\/\/concussionandcte.org\/en-ca\/personal-stories\/inspiring-stories\/teammate-of-the-year-lynn-kleyer\/","title":{"rendered":"CLF’s ’18-’19 Teammate of the Year: Lynn Kleyer"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Posted: September 10, 2019\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

The University of Northern Iowa junior and her teammates have a unique understanding of the value of concussion safety. Current UNI women\u2019s rugby head coach Meghan Flanigan makes it a priority to educate her athletes on brain trauma and concussions, to honor the program\u2019s former longtime coach\u00a0Steve Murra<\/a>. Murra passed away in 2016 and was later diagnosed by researchers at the\u00a0VA-BU-CLF Brain Bank\u00a0with Stage II\u00a0CTE.<\/p>\n

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Murra\u2019s passing started a lasting conversation about concussions and brain trauma within the eastern Iowa community. Flanigan, who played for Murra, says the team aims to continue his legacy by doing more than just playing excellent rugby. Many athletes on the team pledged to donate their brains for research at the VA-BU-CLF Brain Bank and have delivered the Team Up Speak Up Speech each year since 2016.<\/p>\n

After learning about Murra\u2019s passing when she joined the team her freshman year, Kleyer worked to gain a stronger understanding of concussions and CTE.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn high school I didn\u2019t really think concussions were a big deal,\u201d Kleyer said. \u201cKnowing the signs and symptoms of a concussion definitely has opened my eyes to seeing what I need to do to take care of my body.\u201d<\/p>\n

During a 2018 all-star rugby game, Kleyer put her knowledge into practice. She noticed her teammate took a hard hit to the head. When asked if she felt alright, Kleyer\u2019s teammate was quick to say she was fine, but Kleyer kept a watchful eye on her friend as they continued the match. A few plays later, her teammate took another bad hit.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI could definitely tell right away something was up and she wasn\u2019t doing OK,\u201d Kleyer said.<\/p>\n

She noticed her teammate was getting up much slower than usual.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur \u2018thing\u2019 as a team is to push each other if we are ever winded,\u201d Kleyer said. \u201cWe\u2019ll say, \u2018get up! You\u2019re OK!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

In this situation, though, she could tell her teammate was suffering from something more serious than fatigue. Kleyer told fellow teammates to help her injured friend as she brought the situation to Coach Flanigan\u2019s attention.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was talking to some other coaches trying to form a game plan when I heard the ref\u2019s whistle blow,\u201d Flanigan said. \u201cI heard Kleyer screaming my name and saw her talking to the refs.\u201d<\/p>\n

The injured player was brought off the field and evaluated. Doctors eventually diagnosed her with a concussion. Kleyer made sure to check up on her daily during her recovery as she sat out from classes and practice.<\/p>\n

The best teammates, like Kleyer, care more about the health and wellbeing of their teammates than they do about winning or losing. If it weren\u2019t for Kleyer\u2019s leadership, her teammate could\u2019ve continued to play and risked developing serious health consequences like\u00a0Post-Concussion Syndrome (PCS)<\/a>, or even Second Impact Syndrome (SIS), a rare condition that is often fatal when it occurs.<\/p>\n

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By working with the team\u2019s Athletic Trainer and following their return to play protocol, Kleyer\u2019s teammate was able to take the field again later that season.<\/p>\n

\u201cHad we not been proactive in saying something she could\u2019ve been out a lot longer,\u201d Kleyer said. \u201cShe was able to continue playing later on\u2026that gave me happiness.\u201d<\/p>\n

Coach Flanigan says all her players take concussions very seriously, but especially Kleyer.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery year she is one of the first to inform the girls what a concussion is,\u201d Flanigan said. \u201cWhat we can do as a team, what to look for.\u201d<\/p>\n

Coach Flanigan wasn\u2019t surprised it was Kleyer who stopped the game to get her teammate help, describing Kleyer as having a \u201cnatural ability to lead people on and off the field.\u201d<\/p>\n

Watch the University of Northern Iowa Women’s rugby team give the\u00a0Team Up Against Concussions<\/a>\u00a0Speech:<\/p>\n