Lauren Long - Soccer

I never imagined my life without soccer, that is until I was forced to give up the game. After 3 knee surgeries, a foot surgery, and a nose reconstructive surgery, it would be multiple concussions that would force me to walk away from a 14 year career playing the game of soccer.

I excelled on the field throughout my young career playing on some of the best teams in the state of Oklahoma. My determination, and will to succeed would gain me an athletic scholarship to MidAmerica Nazarene University (Olathe, KS).

I gained several athletic awards while making a name for myself at MNU, but it would all come to an end on a cool, crisp October day in 2007 after sustaining what would be my 10th concussion in 14 years. A career full of comebacks and playing through the effects of what I know now as a concussion, could not longer continue.

Lauren currently resides in Oklahoma City, OK living with the same effects that plagued her career, including but not limited to:

Chronic Headaches, Light Sensitivity, Short Term Memory and Concentration Impairment. 

Lauren has also agreed to donate her brain to Boston University Center for the Study of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy.  Once a year, Lauren goes through several cognitive tests over the phone with researchers and participates a yearly telephone interview.

Email Lauren at lifeafterthegame13@gmail.com

Retirement from Soccer: 2007 (Concussion Count:  10 Diagnosed)

2/25/2013Life After the Game featured in Daily Oklahoman Newspaper