I agree there is still some risk and I would never suggest someone ride after a concussion.
Austin's was a well informed decision and he had the advantage of having a couple of medical professionals on hand to consult with. He also had a CAT scan. The CAT scan showed no swelling or hemorrhaging which is the most critical items to look at. If there had been any swelling or bleeding it is a no-brainer
. The key indicators such as blurred vision, nausea, head ache, short and long term memory, any type of noticeable bruising on contusion or balance problems. We put him through a series of test the next morning to check for balance and cognitive functions. Everything checked out. We had a doctor and an EMT clear him.
I went to Bish and told him if Austin takes a hard fall just pull him out. As I mentioned earlier this is Austin's dream and passion. It would not have helped his career not to ride. He applied the risk reward factor (he just completed his macro-economics class and talks like that) to the situation an determined the risk were small enough to justify riding.
I am not saying I agree but I do understand. The most important thing to this thread is to emphasize the importance of addressing a head injury. Again, he had the CAT scan, full on medical attention and healthy symptoms. Please do not take from this situation you should ever go out and ride after a hard fall and you display any head injury symptoms. Always err on the side of caution. Even if your a 19 year old male with absolutely no fear of anything.