My Focus - Katie Wagar

The misconception that only two-hundred-pound football and hockey players get concussions, is dated.

Katie Wagar is proof of that. Katie may be slight in size, but that will have no barring on her susceptibility to concussions. While demonstrating a digging drill in practice on Easter Sunday in 2015 the then 15-year-old from Halifax took a hard-hit ball to the face from her coach.

“I didn’t react fast enough and it hit me in the face. I remember being extremely dizzy and I could barely open my eyes or walk.”

It only takes one.

Your brain can’t tell if a blow to the head was accidental or not. The result is the same.

Katie was taken to the hospital immediately after this happened, which is a credit to her coaches that day who reacted without hesitation.

Katie’s serious concussion symptoms took about a week to subside before she returned to some normalcy.

A dark room, rest, limited light, noise and the battling of severe headaches. These are the moments in life when the support system that exists for athletes become most obvious. Often, it’s a teammate or friend, in Katie’s case, her friend Clare.

“Clare, came over every day and would read my texts out loud to me, which sounds really weird, but it took away the temptation to go on my phone and made me feel more connected with what was going on.”

It only takes one.

Many athlete’s will always credit their parents first when asked how they achieved goals or success. Far to often a thankless job. In moments like this, in the dark of a room with a throbbing head, they can be one of the best therapies.

Katie has managed to consciously care for her head post concussion. She has played on Nova Scotia’s Provincial girls volleyball team for two years, is currently a member of the 18U BIA girls volleyball team and even plays high school hockey. She's currently a grade 12 student at Citadel High School in Halifax.

While the risk of re-injuring her head is always with her, she’s managed to avoid potential set backs.

“I would say I’m a lot more aware of when balls are being hit around me and I always try to keep my head up during hitting warm up. The idea and thought of getting another concussion is always in the back of my mind and I am slightly nervous but it doesn’t affect my play.”

It only takes one, concussion, to change an athlete’s path forever.

It only takes one, family to be at the school gym quicker than you thought possibly after an injury.

It only takes one, friend, to care for you enough to read your text messages in a pitch-black room at 3 o’clock in the afternoon.

It only takes one, reminder, that concussions are a traumatic brain injury that we can’t always see but are often there.

Like Katie did, if they are there, we must confront them.