Do You Know How to Properly Recover from a Concussion?

John Martinez Pavliga/Flickr Creative Commons

John Martinez Pavliga/Flickr Creative Commons

The Center for Disease Control estimates that between 1.6 and 3.8 million concussions occur each year in American sports. Furthermore, 30 percent of these concussions will occur to athletes between 5 and 19 years old. The CDC lists football, ice hockey, wrestling, girls soccer, boys soccer and girls basketball as the American sports most likely to produce concussions.

For those unaware, a concussion disrupts your brain’s ability to operate at full capacity. Essentially, after a blow to the head a victim’s head suffers from a supply-and-demand energy imbalance. Until proper blood flow returns, the brain fails to fully recover. While most individuals recover in a week or two, others can take weeks or months.

If you notice an athlete displaying poor coordination, looking “out of it” or having trouble retaining information, these are just a few signs they may need to undergo concussion testing protocols.

If it is determined that you or your athlete have a concussion, avoid activities that can further strain the imbalanced supply-and-demand in the brain. These activities include watching television or other time consuming screens, reading, writing, music and bright lighting. While seemingly harmless, these can all cause strain on the brain–potentially lengthening the recovery process.

Furthermore, the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (CHoA) Concussion Program suggests a recovery plan that eases the individual back into daily life. A “recovery plan” can include shorter school days, modified coursework/tests and avoiding noisy areas that cause strain until the athlete is deemed fully recovered. Additionally the CHoA recommends physical rest that comprises a seven-step program that eases an athlete into their usual regimen. By implementing the seven-step program, all parties can ensure that the athlete is symptom free, back to their usual routine comfortably and cleared to play at full strength.

For a detailed look at concussions and their treatment, visit CHOA.org.

What’s the Future for Daily Fantasy Sports and Leagues?

Image via Rotosoftware

Image via Rotosoftware

Fantasy sports have never been more popular and the current momentum indicates no signs of halting anytime soon. What started as a hobby between small groups of friends in the early ‘80s is now a full-fledged industry that touts official partnerships with America’s premier sports leagues. However, the format had to change to forge these partnerships. While the leagues themselves host free fantasy sports through their own websites, the daily fantasy sports (DFS) market brought the leagues and top platforms together in ways it hadn’t ever before.

Now, the question is where do each go from here, and how will the relationship continue to develop?

The current American DFS landscape is dominated by two companies, DraftKings and FanDuel. Both companies are billion dollar earners and on upward trajectories. The aforementioned relationship between FanDuel and the NBA is one of the highlights for the New York City-based platform. For the Boston-based DraftKings, the current NFL season could be its make or break season. With a constant barrage of ads during games and a $10 Million NFL Millionaire Maker event to open the season, early numbers indicate the investment is paying off. Traffic towards the site shows people are paying attention to ads. As both platforms launch multi-million dollar tournaments for Week 2, it will be interesting to see how the rest of the season shakes out betting-wise.

While each company further asserts its DFS dominance, other large names like Yahoo and Amaya plan to enter the fray with their own DFS brand. For the current top two, their financial futures remain uncertain as they evaluate whether the next move should come from public or private funding. While DraftKings’ latest round touts a who’s who of industry names, FanDuel plans to wait until this January to determine its next course of financial action.

Another likely option could lead to a merger, one DraftKings CEO Jason Robins hasn’t ruled out if FanDuel has mutual interest. At this point, that is primarily conjecture and should not be considered a viable option.

 

When it comes to the relationship each brand continues to forge with America’s top leagues, early indication shows that the bond is working–though revenue will truly indicate if this is more than just a few-year engagement for all parties. For now, all signs appear to show that we should expect to see further bonds in this capacity.

While this article aims to remain out of the fray of the subject, those that participate are urged to gamble responsibly.

Coach Profile: David Joerger

 

Joe Murphy/NBAE/Getty Images

Joe Murphy/NBAE/Getty Images

Heading into his third season as head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies, Dave Joerger holds a reputation as a proven leader with a knack for tough, championship-caliber basketball. While his success in Memphis is known to NBA fans, they might not know that Joerger has been producing winning basketball since he assumed a coaching role.

A college athlete at Concordia College and Moorhead State, Joerger transitioned from playing to coaching when he accepted a position with the Dakota Wizards of the International Basketball Association. From 1997-2000, he would serve as an assistant before becoming the team’s head coach in 2000. Soon after, titles came to Dakota and Joerger until he moved on in 2004.

After leaving Dakota, Joerger brought winning pedigrees to the Cedar Rapids River Raiders (2004), the Sioux Falls Skyforce (04-06) and another stint with the Dakota Wizards (06-07).

Joerger’s success garnered the attention of the Grizzlies, as he joined the team as an assistant coach for the 2006-2007 season–a position he’d hold until 2013. When the Grizzlies announced that head coach Lionel Hollins would depart the club after the season, attention turned to Joerger.

With the team under his guidance, the Grizzlies reputation for hard-nosed, efficient basketball would grow. Players like Mike Conley Jr., Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph would be just a few that bought into the new head coach’s system. In his first season, Memphis would reach the first round of the playoffs. The following season would see the club reach the conference semifinals before bowing out to the eventual champion Golden State Warriors.

As Joerger enters season three at the helm, Grizzly fans are excited to see what’s in store. With new addition Matt Barnes joining the squad, Joerger has a bolstered squad ready to push further into the playoffs. The Grizzlies open the season October 28 against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Manager Profile: Joe Girardi

Joe Girardi

Since 2008, Joe Girardi has served as the ideal leader of the New York Yankees. For five seasons, Girardi served as the Bronx Bomber’s trusty catcher–providing leadership and wisdom behind the plate. During his stint with the club, Girardi contributed to classic Yankee moments that include catching Dwight Gooden’s no-hitter in 1996 and winning the World Series later that season.

Throughout his entire life, Girardi has been a consummate leader and professional.

After graduating from Northwestern University in 1986 with a degree in industrial engineering, Girardi joined the Cubs farm system before making his first big league appearance in 1989. In 1992, the expansion Colorado Rockies selected Girardi as an unprotected player for its inaugural season. In 1995, New York City began discovered its appreciation for him when the Yankees traded Mike DeJean for the catcher. After five incredible seasons behind the plate at Yankee Stadium, he would return to the Cubs for the last major stretch of his career. In 2000, he would earn his only All-Star team appearance as a player with his home state club.

During his career, Girardi batted .267 with 422 RBIs.

After retiring, Girardi would spend two stints as a broadcaster for the YES Network. While he excelled at his new position, the game he loved proved too tempting to walk away from entirely. Girardi joined the Florida Marlins as its manager for the 2006 season. Guiding the club to a 78-84 record, Girardi earned several Manager of the Year honors before he and the club would go their separate ways at season’s end.

In 2007, Girardi returned to the Yankees as its new Manager. He opted to wear the number 27 to demonstrate his desire to bring a 27th championship to the Bronx. That proved to true in 2009 after the Bombers took down the defending champion Philadelphia Phillies.

As Girardi and the Yankees pursue pennant 28, New York knows that Joe has its back.

Coach’s Profile: NYC FC’s Jason Kreis

Source: MLS Soccer

Source: MLS Soccer

For NYC FC’s first season, we needed an established leader to guide this club to glory–someone capable of leading by example and their passion for the sport. That’s why NYC FC is proud to have Jason Kreis as the first manager in the club’s history. Kreis made a name for himself at every club he played for. Early into his career as a manager, Kreis has been off to an impressive start that he hopes to grow on in New York City.

Kreis is a lifelong fan of the sport, with his parents among the first group to bring premier club soccer to their home state of Nebraska. After playing in Louisiana for high school, Kreis would play forward at Duke University, earning three-time All-American status with 39 goals and 38 assists.

In 1995, Kreis would join the inaugural MLS season as a fifth round selection of the Dallas Burn (now FC Dallas). Among his Dallas milestones, Kreis holds the distinction of scoring the franchise’s first goal–something he would go on to do again with his later club. The next four seasons saw Kreis consistently contribute to the Burn. In 1999, Kreis was voted the league’s MVP–a first for an American-born player. In 2005, after years of solid contribution, Kreis would become the first trade for a new franchise, Real Salt Lake. At Real, Kreis would once again become the first player to score for the new franchise. Additionally in 2005, Kreis would become the league’s first 100-goal scorer In 2007, Kreis would retire to become the club’s new head coach. He retired with 108 goals and 74 assists in competition.

Kreis didn’t miss a beat as a manager, despite being the youngest manager at the helm. By 2009, Real Salt Lake had earned its first MLS Cup. In the following seasons, Kreis would cement his status as a team leader by taking the club to the playoffs every year. In 2013, the club would return to the Cup finals, only to lose to Sporting Kansas City.

At the conclusion of the season, Kreis would join the emerging NYC FC club. Now, Kreis and supporters alike are witnessing the birth of this club every week. As expected, an expansion club often faces its highs and lows–something Kreis knows all too well about. His leadership has helped steer a club that boasts legends like David Villa, Andrea Pirlo and Frank Lampard to strong first season.

We all look forward to seeing what Jason and this dynamic club have to offer for the rest of 2015 and for seasons beyond.