Concussions suck! I’ve seen two of my kids laid out on the football field with what ended up being concussions. It’s different when you are on the sideline, capturing the game through a telephoto lens. It’s different when you can hear the crack of the helmets hitting together. It’s different when you are 10 yards away from the action. It’s different when you capture pictures of that moment. It’s different when it’s your kid.

It’s different when you don’t get to see the seemingly endless replays of the injury-inducing hit. It’s different when a hush falls over the crowd. It’s different when you are so close that you can hear the medic asking the player questions like, “What’s you name?” “What year is it?” “How many fingers am I holding up?” Or the worst, “Do you know where you are?” It’s different when it’s your kid.

It’s different when you are so close to the field, yet still can’t see any movement from the downed player. It’s different when the coaches pull the player for the rest of the game instead of putting the player back in even though they are insisting that they are ready to go back in, that they are tough and competitive, and that they want to finish the game. It’s different when it’s your kid.

It’s different when the player takes himself out of the rest of the game. It’s different when the medic tells the coaches the player is out. It’s different when the other players are telling the injured player to stay out of the game It’s different when it’s your own kid. It’s different.