Coaches Take Action: Create A Plan
To ensure that concussions are managed correctly, have an action plan in place before the season starts.
- Identify a health care professional to manage injuries during practice and competition.
- Fill out the wallet card or clipboard sticker (at right) and keep it with you on the field of play so that information about signs, symptoms, and emergency contacts is readily available.
- Be sure that other appropriate athletic and school staff and health care professionals know about the plan and have been trained in its use.
When a Concussion Occurs
If you suspect that a player has a concussion, implement your action plan by taking
the following steps:
- Remove the athlete from play. Learn how to recognize the signs and symptoms of concussion in your players. Athletes who experience signs or symptoms of concussion should not
be allowed to return to play. When in doubt, keep the player out of play. - Ensure that the athlete is evaluated
by an appropriate health care professional. Do not try to judge the severity of the injury yourself. Health care professionals have a number of different methods that they can use to assess the severity of concussion. - Inform the athlete’s parents or guardians about the known or possible concussion and give them the fact sheet on concussion. Make sure they know that the athlete should be seen by a health care professional.
- Allow the athlete to return to play only with permission from an appropriate health care professional. Prevent second impact syndrome by delaying the athlete’s return to the activity until the player receives appropriate medical evaluation and approval for return to play.
Communicating Effectively about Concussions
It’s important to raise awareness about sports-related concussion throughout the school community. To educate athletes, parents, principals, and other school staff about concussion prevention, look for opportunities to make presentations to each group.
Athletes. Show them the video and pass out the concussion fact sheet. Emphasize that you take this issue seriously and that you expect them to do so as well. Consider devoting a regular team meeting to this topic and inviting a health care professional to speak to your team. Use some of the following talking points to guide your discussion with athletes:
- “Every bump, blow, or jolt to the head is a potential concussion.”
- “Signs and symptoms of concussion can appear right away or days or weeks after the injury. Know and look for any signs of a concussion, even if you think the injury was minor.”
- “Tell coaching staff, your parents, or a health care professional if you receive a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or have signs and symptoms of concussion.”
- “Tell your coach if you received a concussion in another sport.”
- “You can get a concussion during drills, practices, and games. Injuries that happen during practice can be just as serious as those that happen during competition.”
- “Do not play through symptoms of concussion. Your risk of having a second concussion and serious injury increases at this time.”
- “It’s better to miss one game than the whole season.”
Parents. Send the concussion fact sheet to each athlete’s family during the preseason, and again if a concussion occurs. You might also hold parent forums to let them know about your school’s plans for concussion prevention and management. Consider using some of the following talking points to guide your discussion with parents:
- “We know you care about your teen’s health. That is why it is so important that you talk to them about the potential dangers of concussion.”
- “Every concussion should be taken seriously.”
- “Know and watch for any signs and symptoms of concussion if your teen has any blow to the head. Signs and symptoms can appear right away, or days or weeks after the injury happens.”
- “Discourage your teen from playing when experiencing any signs or symptoms of concussion.”
- “Alert your teen’s coach to any known or suspected concussion. This can help prevent second impact syndrome, which reportedly can happen when an athlete has more than one concussion over a short period of time (hours, days, or weeks).”
School principal and athletic director. Look for opportunities to meet with your school principal and athletic director. Explain the seriousness of the issue and the impact that concussion in high school sports can have on the athlete, the team, and the school. Describe the action plan and your concussion education efforts and ask for the principal’s support. Consider using some of these talking points in your discussion with your principal:
- “Each year more than a million high school athletes are involved in contact sports. Concussions can happen in any sport, including soccer, football, basketball, field hockey, and wrestling.”
- “School staff members, working as a team with health care professionals and parents, are key to preventing or correctly managing concussions.”
- “Keeping students healthy and safe helps protect the reputation of the school and provides a positive and supportive environment for learning.”
- “Sometimes poor grades can be associated with cognitive problems from a concussion.”
- “Sometimes behavior changes in the classroom can be due to an undiagnosed concussion.”
- “It’s ideal to have a health care professional available during athletic activities—both practice and actual competition.”
- “Communication should be established among coaches of different sports so an athlete does not go from one sport to another with a concussion.”
- “Coaches of all relevant sports should be encouraged to distribute educational materials about concussion to athletes and parents.”
