Back in the Game – Why Concussion Doesn't Have to End Your Athletic Career

Back in the Game
272 Pages
ISBN 9780190226602

The word concussion was unheard of in youth sports a decade ago. The injury was indeed occurring, but youth athletes were often told to "shake it off" after "getting their bell rung". Science and increased awareness about concussion and brain health have transformed the way youth parents, coaches, and players pursue athletics. Fear of incurring concussions, as well as incomplete or incorrect information, is leading some parents to keep their children out of contact sports, such as football and soccer, where concussion is more prevalent.

Back in the Game: Why Concussion Doesn't Have to End Your Athletic Career does not dwell on perpetuating fears but, rather, provides the most up-to-date understanding of the condition. This is a real-world discussion of what science and medicine know, what parents and coaches need to understand about concussion, evaluation and treatment, and what possible post-concussive issues exist.

The expertise and experiences of noted sports neurologist Jeffrey S. Kutcher, MD, along with reporting and interviews by award-winning sports journalist Joanne C. Gerstner, make this book a timely, relevant, and real discussion about concussions in youth sports. Athletes and professional coaches who have participated in the formation of this book include two-time Olympic gold medalist soccer player Kate Markgraf, former NHL/Team Canada head coach Andy Murray, champion X-Games snowboarder Ellery Hollingsworth, along with an array of youth parents, coaches, and athletes from across the country.

Joanne C. Gerstner

About Joanne C. Gerstner (Detroit, Michigan Author)

Joanne C. Gerstner

Joanne C. Gerstner is an award-winning multi-platform sports journalist with her work appearing in The New York Times, USA Today, ESPN.com, The Detroit News, The Cincinnati Enquirer, PGA Magazine and other outlets. She is the co-author of the critically acclaimed 2016 book, Back in the Game, (Oxford University Press) on youth concussions and sports, aimed at coaches, athletes and parents.

In 2015, she became the first sports journalist to be awarded one of five highly competitive Jacobs Foundation Fellowships for neuroscience. She studied under key researchers, professors and doctors at the University of Zurich to learn about social neuroscience and advances in neurology. During 2012-2013, Gerstner was awarded a prestigious Knight-Wallace Fellowship at the University of Michigan, focusing her studies on sports and concussions. She also was a featured panelist at South by Southwest Sports 2015 for the festival’s first discussion of brain health and athletes.