Senior Project Proposal

Hannah Rosenfield
A. Summary

For my senior project, I would like to research the long term effects of concussions for

athletes. This is an important topic to me because a couple of years ago I had a long lasting

concussion, which I had to go to physical therapy in order to overcome the terrible headaches I

was experiencing. Also, I have friends that have gotten too many concussions, so they aren’t

able to play the sport they love anymore because it is too dangerous for their head. The driving

questions to guide my research are the following:

➢ What happens to the human brain when a person has a concussion?

➢ What rules can be changed in the different sports that help the safety of athletes from

getting a concussion?

➢ How can we prevent athletes from getting a concussion?

➢ How can we ensure that the different leagues enforce athletes to follow the return

protocol after having a concussion?

➢ What laws are already in place?

➢ What court cases have happened involving concussions and what was the decision?

With the help of my consultant, Miss Miekina, I will plan a project that helps with the prevention

of concussions. My project will take place in the second semester at the Rave Soccer Complex or

the Virginia Beach Sportsplex. I will talk to the players of the Virginia Rush Soccer Club about

the importance of being aware of concussions and different ways that they can help prevent

them. After talking to the players, I will have drills for them to do to teach them different ways to

protect their heads in practices and games. Also, I am going to try to get one of the companies

that make the concussion headbands to send some examples to allow the players to try their
product. The goal of my project will be to teach players how to prevent concussions from

happening in soccer.

B. New Skills, Enhanced Skills, and Growth Goals

New Skills

● Teaching kids

● Developing step-by-step soccer drills and communicating the purpose clearly

Enhanced Skills

● Research

● Scheduling

● Talking in front of a group of people

● Planning an event/marketing

Growth Goals

● Communicating with adults that I don’t know

● Time management

● Creativity

C. Marketing Plan/Audience

My target audience for my senior project will be the players of Virginia Rush Soccer

Club because soccer has one of the highest concussion rates in sports. The players need to not

only learn the signs of concussions, but most importantly they need to learn different techniques

on how to prevent getting a concussion. I will send emails out to all of the teams at Virginia

Rush Soccer Club, put flyers out in the Rave Soccer Complex, have the coaches tell their players

about it, and put it out on the Virginia Rush Soccer Club’s social media channels. This will help
make sure that all of the players in the club will know that my event is happening and that it can

help them learn how to prevent getting a concussion, so they won’t be affected later in life.

D. Project Steps

Preliminary Secure venue, send emails, make phone calls, research, find out 5 hours
Steps about the concussion headbands and how to get them

Midway Steps Confirm venue, create agenda, make flyers and social media 6 hours
posts, design drills to teach players how to prevent head
injuries

Later Steps Gather necessary materials, set up room or fields, get small 7 hours
waters and snacks, create signs for venue, run through drills
with friends in order to practice

Follow up Clean up, thank you notes 2 hours

Total 20 hours

E. Project Documentation

● Photos of event

● Screenshots of email conversations

● Advertisement flyers

● Receipts of any purchases made

● Phone log

● Screenshots of social media posts about my project

● Screenshots of text conversations

F. Project Justification

This project will benefit the players of Virginia Rush Soccer Club because it will teach

the athletes not only how to prevent a concussion, but also what can happen to them later in life
if they don’t try to protect their head. Currently athletes learn about the signs of a concussion and

what to do if they have one, but no one teaches them techniques on how to prevent getting a

concussion. Additionally, this project will be challenging for me because I have never planned an

event before. I will have to plan the drills that the athletes will do, show them the importance of

the concussion headbands, and teach the players in an organized manner. This project is

important to me because many of my friends and I have experienced concussions and I want to

teach younger kids how to prevent this from happening to them.

G. Project-Paper Connection

My paper will focus on the long term effects of concussions and my driving questions,

which includes identifying what happens to the human brain when a person has a concussion, the

rules that can be changed in different sports to help the safety of athletes from getting a

concussion, the different ways to prevent athletes from getting a concussion, the laws that are

already in place, and the court cases that have happened and the decision involving concussions.

The paper will provide me with the information that I need to be able to teach the athletes on

how to prevent them from getting a concussion.

H. Academic Honesty

I understand that any academic dishonesty by me on any party of the project/paper will result in

failure of the Senior Project and forfeiture of the Legal Studies Seal on my High School diploma.