I've actually decided not to play rugby. I don't want to risk sustaining another concussion. However, I am the strength and conditioning coach of the team. I recently asked my team to complete player assessments, indicating what injuries--if any--they've had.

One player (21 years old) indicated that she had "mild concussions" after every game last season and they were "not a big deal."

Another player (also early 20s) indicated that she hit her head 5-6 times in the last game--which resulted in her throwing up for most of the day and having a headache. I asked her, "Do you think you may have sustained a concussion?" And her reply was, "I don't know. I guess. I didn't really think about it."

Clearly there's a lot of education that needs to happen about the seriousness of head injuries--especially within the context of women's sports. It's amazing to me that these girls don't think concussions are a big deal. I hope to take what I've learned through my experience, my research and all of your commentary on this board to the field with me while I coach. This forum is an excellent resource and I appreciate what everyone has shared here.