Riley’s homecoming night did not go as planned. After dinner with friends, the group came back to her house to swim. She was chilling in the pool while her friends played volleyball.
“One of my friends had spiked the ball super hard and it bounced off my twin sister and launched straight at my head,” Riley says.
Instantly, Riley was filled with dread. Because, unlike the first time, there was no question: her brain had been injured and she had a concussion.
“I got out of the pool because I knew I was done for the night. And I went straight to my room,” says Riley.
Taking a foot to her head
A few months earlier, playing goalie on the soccer field, Riley had her first concussion – one she didn’t recognize for a week.
Looking back, I wish I’d known more about concussions. But I kept thinking the headaches would go away, and I didn’t want to be benched.
A player's foot hit her head instead of the ball. Riley popped up and kept playing. With so many players swarmed around her, her mom, Karen, never saw it happen.
A week later, an athletic trainer called Karen. Riley had been having daily headaches and dizziness at practice and they suspected a concussion.
Riley hadn’t recognized the signs of a concussion. She hadn't wanted to stop playing a game she's loved since she was 3 or let down both her club and high school teams.
“Not many other kids can play goalie,” says Karen. “It’s a unique position.”
Riley playing goalie on the soccer field.
Failing all the tests, miserably
The next day, Karen and Riley met with Erin Reynolds, Psy.D., Sports Neuropsychologist at Children’s Health℠ and Senior Program Director of Concussion and Pediatric Sports Neuropsychology at Children’s Health Andrews Institute of Orthopedics and Sports Medicine.
Dr. Reynolds treats athletes at every level, from weekend players to professionals – including the Dallas Cowboys, a detail she rarely brings up, since she treats every patient the same way.
She gave Riley the ImPACT test, which measures memory, processing speed and reaction time, and a Vestibular Ocular Motor Screening (VOMS) exam to check whether certain eye and head movements triggered dizziness or nausea.
“I failed all the tests, miserably,” says Riley.
There was no doubt she had a concussion. From there, Dr. Reynolds became the captain of Riley’s care, connecting her to everything she’d need to recover.
A plan for getting back
Dr. Reynolds mapped out both a return-to-play plan and a return-to-learn plan, including a letter outlining accommodations at school.
“I could only do one test a day. The hallways felt too loud, so I'd leave early for my next class,” says Riley.
Dr. Reynolds explained that kids recover better when they stay engaged – at school and with the sport they love, even from the sidelines.
“For a while I could only do light exercise, like walking or biking on a stationary bike. But I still went to practices and games to watch, and they made me a team ‘manager,’” Riley says.
Dr. Reynolds also referred Riley to physical therapy for the ongoing headaches and dizziness.
A different kind of physical therapy
Karen and Riley both assumed physical therapy (PT) looked like rehabilitating a knee. Instead, Riley did eye exercises – retraining her eyes and brain to work together so the dizziness would stop.
Riley had completed three PT session at the Andrews Institute in Frisco when she was hit by the volleyball in the swimming pool.
“It was definitely a setback,” Riley says. She got to work more closely with Chris Tak, Physical Therapist III at the Andrews Institute, who she describes as “fun and playful.” Together, Riley progressed from tracking finger movements with her eyes to tossing a tiny basketball while balanced on one leg – something Riley insists she got better at than he did.
Getting back to play
Dr. Reynolds also referred Riley to Mathew Stokes, M.D., Pediatric Neurologist at Children’s Health and Assistant Professor at UT Southwestern, for medicines to treat her daily headaches.
“Sometimes you just need to feel better so you can be more active – and that's what helps you truly recover,” Dr. Stokes says.
Finally, after months of treatment and a successful ImPACT test, Riley was cleared to play.
Two weeks later, she and another player went up for the same header and collided.
“I went down immediately. I knew exactly what happened and I couldn't hide it because a lot of people saw it,” she says.
A third concussion with a faster recovery
The following day, Dr. Reynolds greeted Riley with a look that said: What are you doing here?
“Thankfully, the headaches were not nearly as bad this time,” says Riley
With PT, immediate treatment and everything she’d already learned about recovery, Riley was back on the field in three weeks.
A lot of people think if you get one concussion, you'll keep getting them and each one will be worse. That's an old way of thinking. We're so dialed in now on how to treat concussion – early treatment is key to faster recovery.
Facing each day with resilience
Despite sustaining three concussions in close succession, Riley never lost her positive attitude.
While soccer has been the sport she’s invested in the most, Riley has also done swim team, track and field, softball, basketball and volleyball. She also loves hiking, fishing and archery.
When asked if she sees herself playing soccer in college, she's honest: “I'm not sure.”
“If Riley or any other athletic kid gets to a point where their sport is not something they’re able to do, we always find another sport or activity,” says Dr. Stokes, who will never forget Riley because his own kid plays goalie too.
Despite sustaining three concussions in close succession, Riley never lost her positive attitude.
Shaping the future of concussion care
Riley knows her run of concussions isn't typical.
“I had a feeling I'd get a concussion at some point. I just didn't think it'd be this many times,” she says.
Riley’s frequent-flyer status at Children’s Health Andrews Institute had an upside: her case pushed one of Dr. Reynolds' sports neuropsychology fellows, a former college soccer player, to question the standard return-to-play protocol for goalies.
“The moves you have to do in goal, and how you use your body, are very specific,” Dr. Reynolds says. “Our fellow flagged that our current soccer protocol doesn't really make sense for goalies. Now we’re creating one that does.”
A need to move
Riley's future plans point toward aviation mechanics, diesel mechanics or welding – anything that involves her hands.
“I’m not meant to sit all day. I need a career where I can move,” she says.
Karen isn't worried because Riley's always found a way to adapt to whatever comes next.
Riley’s future plans point toward aviation mechanics, diesel mechanics or welding.
They both hope Riley loses her frequent-flyer status at Children’s Health Andrews Institute. But they know her care team will be there for their whole family – and that Riley will never ignore the signs of a concussion again.
The whole team, from the athletic trainers to the doctors and physical therapists, wants to help kids get back to what they love. But they do it in this methodical, expert way that makes you confident they truly care about your kid's whole future.
Find concussion care for your child
The Sports Concussion Program at Children’s Health Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine provides expert evaluation techniques, personalized treatment and post-concussion guidance to help your young athlete safely recover and return to sports at the right time. Find locations in Plano, Frisco, Prosper, Fairview and Northlake.
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Related Departments
Orthopedics and Sports Medicine
Children's Health Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine specializes in sports injuries, injury prevention, rehabilitation and performance. Our team provides treatment for spinal conditions, concussions and more, and offers individualized sports performance training and nutrition plans.
Sports Concussion Program
Expert evaluation techniques, personalized treatment and post-concussion guidance mean a safe recovery for athletes and a return to sports at the right time.
