Concussion study targets youth

GSU, Rec Dept., Clark Medical offer free screenings

Joseph Hendrix, 8, puts one foot in front of the other in a balance test as part of baseline screening for potential concussions while his parents, Matthew and Heather Hendrix, watch from the wall. Nicholas Murray, left, Georgia Southerns concussion research director, holds his hands out for safety while athletic trainer Cody Grotewold administers the test.

W 080817 CONCUSSION SCREENING 01 — Joseph Hendrix, 8, puts one foot in front of the other in a balance test as part of baseline screening for potential concussions while his parents, Matthew and Heather Hendrix, watch from the wall. Nicholas Murray, left, Georgia Southerns concussion research director, holds his hands out for safety while athletic trainer Cody Grotewold administers the test.

In a joint project of Georgia Southern University’s School of Health and Kinesiology, the Statesboro-Bulloch Parks and Recreation Department and Clark Medical Group, about 50 children ages 5 to 17 have recently undergone baseline screenings that could help if they experience concussions. Children as young as 7 already play contact football, which includes tackling, through Parks & Recreation programs. “This is actually my first time playing,” said Joseph Hendrix, 8.

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