Your staff’s preparedness to manage a potential concussion is a critical element of a healthy school environment. Whether a child falls at recess or during a P.E., they can suffer a concussion even when wearing protective gear. In addition to having trained medical staff present, creating and maintaining awareness of concussion management practices for on-site staff supports a safer school environment.

What are concussions?

• Concussions are the most commonly reported injuries in children and adolescents who participate in sports and recreational activities. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that just under 4 million sports-related and recreation-related concussions occur in the U.S. each year.
• A blow or motion causes a concussion to the head or body that causes the brain to move rapidly inside the skull. The risks of catastrophic injuries or death are significant when a concussion or head injury is not properly evaluated and managed.
• Concussions are a type of brain injury that can range from mild to severe and disrupt the way the brain normally functions.
• Concussions can occur in any organized or unorganized sport or recreational activity resulting from a fall or players colliding with each other, the ground, or obstacles.
• Concussions can occur with or without loss of consciousness. The vast majority occurs without loss of consciousness.
• Continuing to play with a concussion or head injury symptoms leaves the young athlete especially vulnerable to greater injury and even death.

Learn more about concussion education
Educate yourself on concussion injuries and concussion management. More information, documents, and toolkits can be obtained from the CDC here. While this material may reference coaches, athletes, and parents, it is easily transferable to staff, students, and parents.

Consider these tips:

• Review the following documents:
  • Fact sheet for coaches
  • Fact sheet for athletes
  • Fact sheet for parents
• Coach’s clipboard facts
• Order the free Heads Up: Concussion in Youth Sports toolkit and review materials included. Incorporate this into your staff training.
• Provide students or youth athletes and their parents or guardians with the following information:
  • Fact sheet for athletes
  • Fact sheet for parents
• Require a concussion and head injury information sheet to be signed and returned by the youth athlete and the athlete’s parents, custodial parent, or guardian before the youth athlete’s participation and return to practice or competition.