An athlete never really goes into a game, or a match, knowing that it could be their last. All that is on an athlete’s mind is the satisfaction that will come when they score the game-winning shot, touchdown, goal, or pin their opponent in a wrestling match.

But the moment that the injury happens, all they can think about is not the blinding pain, but the possibility that their season, or maybe even their career, has come to an end.

For Karson Byle (‘20), this year was not a new experience when it comes to injuries. His freshman year, he was kneed in the back of his head, which resulted in a serious concussion that ended his season, so when this year’s wrestling season came around, he was hopeful that this season would be better and longer. Unfortunately, this was not the case. “I was smacked and slammed to the ground and I got a concussion from that, too.”

This second concussion of his sophomore season was the last one he would get from wrestling, because sadly, not only is his career as a wrestler over, but he is done playing all sports.

According to Ms. Alvarado, our sports med teacher, concussions are somewhat difficult to diagnose. “You don’t know right away. The symptoms are headaches, memory loss, personality changes…”

Alvarado testified that one of the students here at AHS was hit in the head during one of her basketball games, which resulted in a concussion. She was sent straight to Seattle Children’s Hospital, and some of the symptoms stuck around for a very long time afterwards.

It seems as though Byle’s decision to end his time as an athlete was a smart one, because more often than not, concussions end careers more often than breaking a bone.