About the Law: An Act Relative to Safety Regulations for School Athletic Programs
All
schools subject to the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic
Association (MIAA) rules are required, by state law, to have their
student-athletes and their parents/guardians, coaches, athletic
directors, school nurses, and physicians learn about the consequences of
head injuries and concussions through training programs and written
materials. The law requires that athletes and their parents/guardians
inform their coaches about prior head injuries at the beginning of the
season. If a student-athlete becomes unconscious during a game or
practice, the law now mandates taking the student out of play or
practice, and requires written certification from a licensed medical
professional for “return to play.” Learn more about the law >> (pdf)
Required Concussion Training for Parents and Student Athletes
Parents/guardians
and students who plan to participate in any athletic program at
Cambridge Rindge and Latin School (“CRLS”) must also take a free on-line
course. Two free on-line courses are available and contain all the
information required by the law. The first is available through the
National Federation of High School Coaches. You will need to click the
“order here” button and complete a brief information form to register.
At the end of the course, you will receive a completion receipt. The
entire course, including registration, can be completed in less than 30
minutes. Learn more >>
The second on-line course is available through the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention. To learn more about this online course, click here.
What is a Concussion?
A
concussion is an alteration of mental status resulting from the brain
being jolted inside of the skull due to a blow to the head or body. It
is one of the most complicated injuries faced by medical professionals
as the signs and symptoms are not always straightforward and the effects
and severity of the injury can be difficult to determine. Among the
symptoms associated with concussion are: headache, dizziness, confusion,
amnesia, nausea, and disorientation. Loss of consciousness occurs in
less than ten percent of all injuries and is not an indicator of
concussion severity. Following an injury, the athlete may also
experience other difficulties such as sensitivity to light and sound,
forgetfulness, fatigue and emotional changes such as anxiety or
depression.
Most
athletes who sustain a concussion can fully recover as long as the
brain has had time to heal before sustaining another hit; however,
relying only on an athlete’s self-report of symptoms to determine injury
recovery is inadequate as many student athletes are not aware of the
signs and symptoms of injury, the severity concussive injuries pose or
they may feel pressure from coaches, parents/guardians, teammates or
others to return to play as quickly as possible. One or more of these
factors will likely result in under-diagnosing the injury and a
premature return to play. Research has shown that young concussed
athletes who return to play before their brain has healed are highly
vulnerable to more prolonged post-concussion syndrome or, in rare cases,
a catastrophic neurological injury known as Second Impact Syndrome.
Therefore, the Cambridge Public Schools encourages the following care
when an athlete sustains a concussion in a school-sponsored sporting
event:
- When any injury occurs, the injured athlete should promptly report the injury to the athletic trainer, coach and school nurse.
- When a concussion occurs, the injured athlete should visit the local
hospital emergency room or review his/her condition with his/her
primary care physician to ensure there is not a need for emergency
medical care.
- Communication is vital. Subsequently a care team consisting of the
injured athlete’s primary care physician and parents/guardians along
with the Cambridge Public Schools’ athletic trainer, school nurse,
teachers, head coach and athletic director should monitor the symptoms
of injury.
- Engage the injured athlete in a battery of tests that include a
combination of self-report symptoms, balance and neuro-cognitive
testing. The combined assessment will provide a more sensitive and
objective evaluation of the effects of the concussion that will help
better determine when it is safe for the athlete to return to play.
- The injured athlete will not be allowed to return to play or
practice until a certified licensed athletic trainers from CRLS has
authorized his/her return to play.
Online Concussion Course
Parents/guardians and students who plan to participate in any athletic program at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School (“CRLS”) must also take a free on-line course. Two free on-line courses are available and contain all the information required by the law.
The first course is available through the National Federation of High School Coaches.You will need to click the “order here” button and complete a brief information form to register. At the end of the course, you will receive a completion receipt. The entire course, including registration, can be completed in less than 30 minutes.
More Information