Episcopal Academy's Zappala back from concussion woes

This article has been updated from the original version. The Episcopal-St. Augustine game will be played at the South Philadelphia Supersite, not the originally scheduled venue, Citizens Bank Park.

EPISCOPAL ACADEMY senior Curtis Zappala doesn't exactly remember the concussion that caused him to miss nearly 3 months during his freshman lacrosse season.

The 6-foot, 175-pound attacker can tell you the beginning and the end, but the middle, at least without video assistance, is more elusive.

"I was coming around the goal and I just didn't see one of the defensemen sliding, and I kind of dove to the ground and he just finished me, took my helmet off," Zappala said. "I watched the film later, so I realized what happened. My helmet came off, my head hit the ground and I was just knocked out."

That's why Friday's fifth annual NXTsports Philly Charity Showdown has special meaning to Zappala.

Net proceeds for the event will benefit the Thomas Jefferson Comprehensive Concussion Center. Episcopal Academy will face St. Augustine Prep at the South Philadelphia Supersite (at 10th and Bigler) at 6:40 p.m.

The charitable event begins the 2014 Philly Showcase weekend, a college recruiting event for the nation's top lacrosse talent that reportedly was attended by nearly 100 NCAA coaches in 2013.

NXTsports, a sports education and management company located in Bala Cynwyd, reported raising more than $30,000 last year for the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia's Minds Matter initiative, which is dedicated to youth concussion care and research.

"I think it's a great event, because concussions are a growing problem in all of sports, not just football, lacrosse and hockey - the big-hitting sports," Zappala said. "I think when we really understand what's going on in the brain when we're playing sports, we can learn how to bounce back from something as bad as a concussion. And learn how to make the game safer."

Zappala, who is committed to attend the University of Maryland, said severe headaches and wooziness followed in the days after his concussion.

"You really just don't realize where you are in the moment," he said.

Weeks later, save for the occasional headache, fatigue was his biggest hurdle. Fortunately, when schoolwork began to pile up, Zappala said his teachers were very accommodating.

However, few could help with the frustration of missing games.

During the 2012 Inter-Ac championship against the Haverford School, Zappala played the sideline. He said he wasn't a pouter and was overjoyed when the Churchmen won, 15-11.

"But looking back, days later, years later," he said, "it's one of those things you wish you could get back."

Upon his return, Zappala said it took until the spring of his sophomore year to feel mentally and physically confident on the field. A 3.1-GPA student, he is keeping his options open, but said photojournalism might be in his future.

For now, the resilient Newtown Square resident is just happy to play lacrosse.

"I feel great," he said. "I've been knocked around a few times . Sophomore and junior years, I've gotten hit pretty big, not as big as that, but I feel good. I've bounced back every time."