AHEADABOVE
The NFL’s Newest Rule Changes to Decrease Concussions
number of concussions between the 2017 and 2018 seasons, lowering the total from 281 in 2017 to 214 in 2018 when combined with preseason play. In the regular season alone, the number of reported concussions was 135 compared to 190 from the year prior. However, it’s worth noting that 2017 saw high recorded rates of concussions. Figures going as far back as 2012 indicate that 2017 was one of the most concussed years in recent football history. Still, NFL and medical officials point to 2018’s decrease in concussions as a positive sign that league initiatives are working. Officials say the new rules helped push the numbers down, and the use of more sideline concussion protocol testing and increased advanced helmet technology aided in this boost. The NFL reported that 74% of its players were now wearing its latest protective headgear, a 33% increase from 2017. According to USA Today, the NFL’s chief medical officer, Dr. Allen Sills, also indicated that medical teams across the league performed more sideline concussion tests than any year prior and saw a 75% decrease in diagnosing. The league is considering testing mouthguard technology that would give medical teams more information for diagnosing concussions. As we prepare for another season of football, there’s no telling what 2019’s numbers will show about the NFL’s latest safety protocols, but, if 2018 was any indication, they just might be headed in the right direction.
Our office manager, Jena, is one of our newest employees here at LynnPro, but she became a member of the family as soon as she started the job. Before applying to run our office, Jena worked in accounts payable at another company here in Clinton, Iowa. She liked the work, but, when her position was eliminated, her job search brought her to our door. “I came in and interviewed, and I was really intrigued in the interview by the atmosphere and the personality at LynnPro. It’s just a very upbeat, customer-focused company. It’s a great place to be,” Jena says, adding, “It’s a very small group of people, but there are a lot of great personalities put together here.” In her day-to-day work, Jena keeps track of our marketing efforts, communicates with and collects feedback from customers, oversees employee relations, maintains our customer databases, and takes care of purchasing to ensure our inventory is always stocked. She has a hundred hats but manages to wear them all with grace. MEET JENA AUSTIN! EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT: Prior to the 2018 National Football League (NFL) season, the league administration introduced two rules aimed at preventing concussions: Players are no longer allowed to “wedge” block — players running shoulder-to-shoulder into another player — during kick-offs, and they can’t lower their helmets when they tackle. Fans and players complained about the “soft” stance the NFL took on the gritty play football was built on. Most notably, former Green Bay Packers linebacker Clay Matthews was subjected to a game-costing “roughing the passer” penalty for tackling in a way that would have been allowed in years prior. The NFL reported that it would be using Matthews’ hit as a teaching tape. Despite the backlash, offseason reports may suggest that these rules have influenced concussion rates. The NFL reported a 24% decline in the
everyone is treated like family. “We try to carry that over to the customer service we offer and make the customers feel that way, too,” she says. When she’s not at the office, Jena stays busy spending time with her husband and their blended family of six kids, gardening, cooking, and baking. She just had both knees replaced after a rough athletic career took its toll, and she can’t wait to get back to her regular schedule of biking and relaxing on the Mississippi riverfront. “I got to enjoy the view and just de-stress and breathe,” she says.
As with most of our employees, Jena says one of her favorite things about working at LynnPro is the work-life balance we encourage.
Thank you, Jena, for all you do!
“When the workday ends, you leave, and there’s no stress or anything to carry over,” she says. She’s also proud of the office atmosphere, where
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