In 2010 Briana suffered a concussion that not only cut short her incredible soccer career, but hijacked her mind and body.
When at the top of her game, Briana could easily tune out 90,000 fans screaming from the stands, and watch the ball with razor sharp focus. But after her concussion, the most mundane tasks became impossible challenges. Her frustration coupled with depression and anxiety pushed Briana to the very brink. It was only through her inner tenacity and unyielding willpower that she was able to claw her way down the road to recovery. Today, several years after her concussion, Briana is fully recovered. She shares her ordeal in order to educate players, coaches, and parents about concussions and uses her position to advocate for better protections for players.
“Today, I stand here before you to share my new mission with you. My new mission is to provide a new face and voice to those who have and may suffer the long and difficult recovery of a devastating concussion.”
Concussions are a growing problem in soccer, from the youth level to professional. Soccer has the second highest rate of reported concussions, following football. This is especially troubling for female players as research suggests they are not only more susceptible to concussion than male players, but also take longer to recover. About one in every two female soccer players will sustain a concussion in her career. As concussion awareness grows, and more parents and coaches know what to look for, the number of concussions being diagnosed is skyrocketing. Briana hopes that by sharing her story and advocating for increased awareness, this dangerous trend can be reversed.
In 2013, The Washington Post produced a documentary short following Briana’s journey to recovery as she gets a surgery to cure her concussion-caused headaches.
Watch on WashingtonPost.com Read the Article 
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A short blurb goes here talking about the congressional testimonies and what was being decided. This should cover both the 2014 and 2016 testimonies and links to the full testimonies will be below so the full transcript can be read. A short blurb goes here talking about the congressional testimonies and what was being decided. This should cover both the 2014 and 2016 testimonies and links to the full testimonies will be below so the full transcript can be read.
