William was a typical 16-year-old. He was fun and energetic and loved playing baseball and video games and spending time with his friends.

As sports are ramping back up in select schools and universities in the state, it is important to remember that participation in sports provides numerous benefits, both physically and socially. While these benefits can come with the downside of a sports-related injury, this should not keep our youth on the bench.

Sunday, Sept. 2, marked the beginning of LSU football season. While the news is filled with the latest football rankings and fans dressed in their favorite team apparel, this time of year also brings about more and more coverage of the increasing number of sportsrelated traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), namely concussions.