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<\/p>\nMy name is Matthew Solomon. I have loved football for as long as I can remember. No other sport has captured my heart and soul the same way.<\/p>\n
Football is a very intricate sport, one that I think many people don\u2019t fully appreciate. Small nuances can make the difference between a hard-fought win or loss. Every game is an exciting adventure to watch, and with only a few games each season, every week counts. Whether you are a player or a fan, when your team is winning, there is no greater feeling of pride.<\/p>\n
And the people behind the sport? Football players are a different breed. They may be strong or fast, or both, but always tough, even fearless. Yet in football, no individual alone can carry a team. The whole is always greater than the parts and being part of a team is like a second family. You work together, celebrate together, and share disappointment together. That camaraderie is very powerful, and sometimes even the underdog can achieve incredible victories.<\/p>\n
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Over the years I played flag football then progressed into tackle. Outwitting, outmuscling, or outrunning an opponent is thrilling. Scoring a touchdown is the greatest feeling in the world.<\/p>\n
My brain injuries didn\u2019t start until my freshman year of high school when I blocked a punt with my head. I don\u2019t even really remember it. It was near the end of the game and my adrenaline was running so high, I didn\u2019t start to feel the concussion symptoms until that evening.<\/p>\n
After dinner, I saw my school doctor and was placed in a dark room to recover. The doctor alerted my parents, coaches, and teachers, and the return-to-play protocol was slow and thorough. I was told to stay off my phone and my computer. My head hurt and I had a heightened sensitivity to light. I was lethargic and slept a lot, and I wasn\u2019t very hungry. After about 36 hours at the health center, I was sent home for the weekend to rest and was instructed not to read or watch TV. I missed the last football game of the season against our biggest rival. I was sad to miss such a fun tradition at my school.<\/p>\n
The next week I went back to class to listen. My teachers were told not to expect that I participate, do homework, or take any tests. The following week catching up on schoolwork was a bit stressful, but I got to go back to the trainer under our return-to-play policy. I was tested for headaches while increasing my workout activity each day before I was allowed to go back to football practice.<\/p>\n
The following season, upon falling to the ground after a tackle, I had an awful feeling that I had injured my brain again. I recovered quickly from that hit, but later the same season, I was stiff-armed by a much larger player in a practice and once again suffered a diagnosed concussion.<\/p>\n
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I knew in my heart that this could impact my long-term health. The concussions seemed to come easily. The risks were becoming great. I was missing school, friends, and time just being a teenager. I see NFL players, some of the best in the world, suffer concussions right before my eyes. I read about CTE and the things that it causes some people do, how they suffer, and maybe hurt others. I see the struggle my grandparents go through with my grandfather\u2019s dementia. Brain health is so fragile, yet so critical to leading a healthy and happy life.<\/p>\n
I was angry and sad. After letting it sink in for a bit, and talking to my coach, we decided I would finish the season as a student assistant coach. Aside from helping the coaches at practice and games, I watched film and logged team stats. I was on the sidelines with the squad through all the ups and downs. I love this game whether in pads or not.<\/p>\n
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I stay active and have fun in many other ways. Health and fitness are very important to me. I enjoy weightlifting and I run track in the spring. At school, my friend and I started a \u201crec games\u201d club where we\u2019ve played kickball, capture the flag and other non-contact sports.<\/p>\n
I took an online scouting class during the Covid-19 lockdown, track football stats in my free time, participate in a number of football chat rooms, and have fantasy drafts with my friends. I hope to study sports management and work in the professional sports industry someday. I love this game. I always have and I always will.<\/p>\n
Every student-athlete has different goals and experiences. I find competing very exciting, and I love the camaraderie of a team. The important thing is to be true to yourself. For me, that means prioritizing my brain health for my future.<\/p>\n
If you think you have sustained a concussion, tell a coach, see a doctor, and take the necessary time to heal. If you think you see someone else suffer a concussion, speak up.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
High school football player Matthew Solomon shares his decision to protect his long-term brain health.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false},"inspiring-stories":[11],"legacy-stories":[],"class_list":["post-25059","stories","type-stories","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","inspiring-stories-pcs"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n