For my position, you have to be physical and aggressive. I never have had a problem with contact because I don’t lead with my head ever, so I am not scared whatsoever about that
My guy was center back. I also have a younger son, center mid. Do not take down those long balls with your head. Take them down with your chest. Your coach may not be super happy but try not to head during the game for a year. Taylor Twellman’s career ending with a punch to the head from the keeper. It can get messy. Don’t take risks outside of your sport. One more concussion and you would really need to think about stopping.
If your grades were affected, these were not minor concussions. Use books on tape whenever you can to give yourself a break for English classes. Order from your local library.
Yeah I am stopping if I have another one, but we aren’t allowed to take the ball out of the air with our heads anyways because it causes lack of control, so that shouldn’t be difficult. What should I do academically?
@nosnos Have your parents got involved? Why weren’t the Dr’s accommodations followed. Can you ask to retake major exams from this year? I would try to see if your parents could advocate on your behalf. We didn’t have a problem at our school system so I did not have to fight this. You could ask your doctor for a note to recommend retakes since his last request was ignored.
Now that it has passed that quarter, all grades have been locked. It was a mental battle whether I should just give up all together, since it was extremely detrimental to my grades. I honestly could sue the school system, but the back lash would be horrendous. I just need to know what steps in these next two and a half years to take, to become a student at IU. Many get accepted with 3.2’s, and my PSAT already fits their standards in math and english. I hadn’t seen the requirements for other subjects, but I assume I am in the range there too. I have been in the above average range for all standardized testing, so does any of that count for anything?
@nosnos You can have your GC note your concussion history. With a rising trend, your chances improve. The problem might be that CS is impacted at IU and the acceptance GPA for CS is higher than 3.2. You may have to try a larger net of colleges. A great SAT or ACT score could certainly help. So study this summer. Be wel! prepared and take both ACT and SAT in case you are stronger in one. With a good test score, a great essay and a rising GPA you could be O’k. You need to apply early when the time comes. EA to schools to have a better chance at acceptance. You need to try to fit in a CS based project or EC.
He is alreaddy, and for CS, I already have completed one course and around 17 projects. I am taking two AP classes for it next year, and basing my classes around it until graduation. If I continue improving like I have been, then I can increase my GPA to probably a 3.5 to a 3.8.
@nosnos Sounds like you’re doing the best you can. A good plan. The very worst case scenario is take a year at a CC or a year at a prep school.
I think I may have my mom go to the school board to fix this problem. Thank you for the help
I agree that the last thing you should be doing is still playing soccer. You have to think about the long term effects of your health, which has to come first.
You doctor can not dictate that your grades not be counted. You doctor can ask if you can be medically excused from a test, your doctor can ask that you be given extended time, your doctor can ask that you be given an incomplete in your classes with additional time to make up work. You can not ask for this after the fact. You would need to meet with the schools special Ed team and they would recommend safety nets or flexible testing as part of your IEP or 504 plan (sounds like you have neither).
Keep in mind some test, especially state exams there are no make ups. You either take them on the day that they are given or you wait until the next administration of the test.
If your disability is affecting your academics, perhaps your parents should look into getting you an initial evaluation for an IEP or minimally getting you a 504
Exacly. You should have a formal 504 plan for the medical issues. If you didn’t have one, your public school is in violation of a bunch of legal stuff. Likewise if you had one but your teachers didn’t follow it. I know you don’t want to fight the school about this, but you would be helping the next kid with a concussion or other health issue if you can bring yourself to do that.
Parents must submit the request for a 504 plan. If playing soccer excascerbares his medical condition having the504 in place without giving up the soccer is not going to help. He can’t have his cake and eat it too
My dissability has ended, and my grades have drastically improved, but I still then am having to figure out how to fix these issues. I performed very well on all of my state exams, so that doesn’t matter to me. My mom is going to the school board because they have completely screwed me over.
The injury has passed, so that is not helpful at this point. I have no reason to have a 504 anymore. I did however have doctors notes come in every month for my tests. Only some teachers abliged. I am aware this is illegal, and I have gone to my GC and Dean to be able to get help, and they have done the most they can. Obviously I am a fairly driven student, and I want to be able to better myself
I don’t think it’s necessarily “illegal” for a teacher to disregard a random note from a doctor, without some kind of substantiation or the completion of a formal process. This is why an IEP or 504 plan is important.
You may be recovered from your most recent concussion, but you are much more susceptible to a recurrence, especially if you continue to regularly participate in a contact sport like soccer.
The problem is that it is not “illegal”, you did not have an IEP or a 504 plan in place requesting accommodations (extended time on class exams, separate setting. The doctor’s note in and of it self does you no good with out a request for the 504 plan (which could have temporarily be put in place, but not done retroactively).
The 504 plan cannot say that you should not or could not be tested. Even with a 504 plan in place, it does not mean that your grades do not count as they are a reflection of the work that you did. No doctor can say that you should not be graded or that the grades that you did receive should not count. Since you did not have one in place all of this is moot.
While your parents may be going to the school board, I do not see this as a battle that they are going to win
Teachers don’t have to take the medical or family excuse. Grandmother dies? Teacher/prof do not have to accept that as an excused absence and let you have more time or make up the exam.
They judged you on the work you did while you were at school. At school, not on medical leave. You took the same exam as others in your class. You did not have accommodations in place. A teacher can’t look at you and decide you need more time, a separate room, the questions read to you, more breaks. A doctor’s note also cannot ‘prescribe’ those things.
Several posts have said what you have to do - give up soccer if you want to be the best student you can be, show your best in testing and academics. You know the concussions are causing your grades to be lower.
Just because you have to give up soccer, does not mean you must give up all athletic activity. Look for one or two where you aren’t likely to have another head injury - how about cross country?
I understand that this student is aiming for high level soccer, probably a college scholarship. So, giving up soccer simply isn’t possible.
But those grades need to be made up in some way.
Op: prep for standardized tests very, very well, and take subject tests in the subjects you got low grades in.
Of course it’s possible. I’m not a physician, but I have suffered from a serious head injury that resulted in traumatic brain injury and a major concussion. Unless you have experienced a concussion, it’s hard to understand how debilitating it can be. The impact to cognitive processes can be significant and long lasting. It took me nine months to feel like my brain was operating like it was before my injury. For anyone who has suffered a concussion, the threat of a recurring concussion is significantly increased. The impact on quality of life (among other things) is just not worth taking any unnecessary risk. Obviously, I don’t know anything about OP’s specific injury and prognosis. But there’s no way I would step on a soccer field again if a result might be that I would have to face what I went through before, or worse.