Skydiver Hits Player: Mattingly Romanin, Baseball Infielder, Suffers Concussion [VIDEO]
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During the past week, a viral video has been making its way around the Internet featuring minor league baseball player, Mattingly Romanin, who was dropkicked by a skydiver during the national anthem last Saturday. Although it's attracted quite a few laughs from viewers, including Romanin, the accident could have more serious health repercussions than expected.
Romanin and his team the Hanninal Cavemen were set to take Clemens Field in Hannibal, Mich., when the national anthem began to play. The crowd and players were treated to an aerial spectacle involving three skydivers parachuting onto the field with an American flag.
After the first skydiver flew in with no problem, the second seemed to be experiencing directional issues when he began heading straight for three players including the short-stop Romanin. While his teammates dove for cover, Romanin stayed in place because according to him, that's what the skydiving crew told the players to do if one were to come towards them, the Associated Press reported.
The infielder's attempt to duck at the last moment was unsuccessful, and the next thing he knew he was on the ground with a throbbing headache. Emergency personnel at the ball park quickly rushed to his side and got him to his feet a couple of minutes after the incident.
Despite a headache and light visions problems, Romanin managed to finish out all nine innings of the game. He even sent this lighthearted tweet the morning after his literal kick to the face:
i feel like i got kicked in the face yesterday, oh wait....
— Mattingly Romanin (@MRomanin2) July 21, 2013
Following a weekend of recovery, Romanin decided to get his condition checked out by a doctor after headaches persisted. He was given the unfortunate news that he had sustained a concussion and that it would be in his best interest to skip the rest of the Cavemen's season.
"I still have headaches and stuff like that, and I just feel a little slow," Romanin said during a phone interview with The Epoch Times on Tuesday. "It is unfortunate that it ended my season, and I'm a little upset about that, but you know what, it's just a freak accident and there's nothing we can do now. So I'm still trying to be upbeat it, and I'm still laughing with everybody."
The decision to end Romanin's season was heavily dependent on a previous condition that he sustained while playing for Chicago State. According to the Sport's Concussion Institute, a player who has one concussion is two times more likely to have a second, a player who has two concussions is two to four times more likely to have a third concussion. Receiving multiple concussion has been linked to an array of development and psychiatric disorders — a notable example is the unfortunate suicide of NFL linebacker Junior Seau, who had previously sustained head trauma.