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High School Football Player Dies from Head Injury

Michael Gaio
Michael Gaio
Nov 13, 2013

A high school football in player in Arizona died Monday after suffering a head injury in the fourth quarter of his team's playoff game. This serves as yet another tragic reminder of the dangers of serious head injuries.

According to the Associated Press, Hopi High School senior Charles Youvella died of a traumatic brain injury. He was injured in his team's 60-6 playoff loss on Saturday. Youvella scored his team's only touchdown.

From the AP story: The death comes at a time when head injuries in football are attracting attention at all levels of the sport.

The Institute of Medicine and National Research Council two weeks ago called for a national system to track sports-related concussions and answer questions about youth concussions.

The report said 250,000 people age 19 and younger were treated in emergency rooms for concussions and other sports- or recreation-related brain injuries in the country in 2009. That was an increase from 150,000 in 2001.

The Arizona Interscholastic Association says an account will be established to help defray costs for the Youvella family.

Player safety is a topic we've covered extensively at AB, but this unfortunately serves as another reminder that no matter how many new legislation is passed, or new technology is introduced, freak accidents can still occur.

RELATED: High School Athletic Trainers Key in Concussion Management

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