Heads Up: Concussion in Youth Sportsis a free, online course provided by the CDC and is available to coaches, parents, and others helping to keep athletes safe from concussion. It features interviews with leading experts, dynamic graphics and interactive exercises, and compelling storytelling to help you recognize a concussion and know how to respond if you think that your athlete might have a concussion.
Once you complete the training and quiz, you can print out a certificate, making it easy to show your league or school you are ready for the season.
A concussion is a brain injury caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head, face, neck, or body which results in a temporary disruption of normal brain function. A concussion occurs when the brain is violently rocked back and forth or twisted inside the skull. An athlete does not have to lose consciousness to suffer a concussion.
Concussions occur most frequently in football, however all athletes are at risk.
Concussion symptoms may last from a few days to several months.
A concussion can affect a student’s ability to do schoolwork and other activities.
An athlete may not return to sports while still having symptoms from a concussion as they are at risk for prolonged symptoms and further injury.
A concussion may cause multiple symptoms. Many symptoms appear immediately after the injury, while others may develop over the next several days or weeks.
Most athletes who experience a concussion can recover completely as long as they do not return to play prematurely. The effects of repeated concussions can be cumulative, and after a concussion, there is a period in which the brain is particularly vulnerable to further injury. If an athlete sustains a second concussion during this period, the risk of permanent brain injury increases significantly and the consequences of a seemingly mild second concussion can be very severe, and even result in death (i.e. “Second Impact Syndrome”).
LOUDOUN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS GUIDELINES FOR PARENTS, ATHLETES and STAFF
