Pierce learned growing impact of concussions

During senior night at Gonzaga Prep on Oct. 22, Kaylie Pierce took her accustomed spot at center back in the Bullpups’ starting soccer lineup. Unlike the previous two years with the Bullpups, the move was largely symbolic and her stay on the field relatively brief.

“I got to play for two minutes, it might have been a little longer,” Pierce said. “It felt amazing, because I hadn’t played since March. And it was really hard coming off the field.”

Pierce was unable to play her final season because of a series of concussions that had caused side effects, including short-term memory loss.

Concussion is a term normally associated with a contact sport like football. But Pierce’s case highlights a growing concern for female athletes.

“We are learning more and more about sport-related concussions and how female athletes are at an increased risk,” Pierce’s mother Casey said via e-mail. “We wanted to share her story with you in hopes that more attention can be put out there for athletes and their parents.”

Casey Pierce’s e-mail arrived after I had already talked with Kaylie about her career-ending injury. She said that as a defender for club and high school teams, she had suffered more than half a dozen concussions.

“The first came a few weeks before the start of my freshman year,” she said. “I’ve had about seven since then.”

They came not from the impact of heading a soccer ball, but from collisions. Some were head-to-head. Most came from having her feet taken out beneath her and hitting the back of her head on the turf, said her father Ken.

“Every impact made it that much worse,” Kaylie said. “I would feel really nauseous and have headaches for weeks at a time.”

When she had the memory impairment, the time came for action.

“It was almost as if she’d been drinking,” Casey said. “She was kind of goofy, laughing and everything was sunny. Actually, she didn’t remember any of it.”

Testing revealed the cause and the decision was made that, if she were to heal, her soccer career must end.

Kaylie said she wants to become a doctor. She understood the potential ramifications if she continued playing soccer.

“For a while I was upset I couldn’t play and it was hard to watch others out there,” she said. “I was kind of selfish.”

Ken Pierce played football and figured concussions were “just part of the deal.” Now as he reads, he’s learned concussions among male and female athletes are nearly equal.

Two other daughters are getting involved in sports. The Pierces have explored the use of headgear, although it protects frontal contact.

As female athletes become more skilled and physical, concussions are going to be part of their deal.

Runners chase state

Cross country runners qualify for their various state meets this week, beginning today for Northeast A League runners.

The league has been awarded one state berth, but per WIAA rules is challenging the Caribou Trail League for one of its three boys berths. The Lakeside (Nine Mile Falls) and Freeman boys teams are in Wenatchee for 1 and 1:40 p.m. races.

4A-3A: At best, the Greater Spokane League can qualify two boys and girls teams out of three available in each of the 4A races. Two 3A boys and girls teams advance. Races begin noon Saturday with 3A girls and run on the half hour at Carmichael Middle School Richland. Mead and Ferris boys are part of a five-team 4A boys race. Central Valley and Lewis and Clark square off against Richland and Davis in the girls. North Central is the 3A favorite for boys and Mt. Spokane will be in a three-team race for the other spot. Mt. Spokane and Shadle Park girls are part of a four-team battle.

•2A-B: The meet is Saturday at Plantes Ferry Park in Spokane Valley. Great Northern League advances two girls and boys teams in races at 11:45 a.m. and 1:45 p.m. Districts 5/6/7 B girls run at 11 a.m. and boys at 12:30 p.m. for five boys and three girls berths.