CONCUSSION AWARENESS
Training to recognize the symptoms of concussions and brain injuries and how to seek their proper medical treatment shall be made available to coaches of the district’s athletic teams.
The district will provide information on concussions and brain injuries to athletes and their parents or guardians prior to the beginning of practice or competition including at least:
1. The signs and symptoms of concussions;
2. The risks posed by sustaining a concussion; and
3. The actions a student should take in response to sustaining a concussion including the notification of coaches.
A student participating on a school athletic team shall be removed from a practice or game when reasonably suspected of having sustained a concussion or brain injury in that activity after observation by a coach or a licensed health care professional who is professionally affiliated with or contracted by the school.
The injured student shall not be permitted to participate in any school supervised team athletic activities involving physical exertion, including, but not limited to, practices or games, until the student;
1. has been evaluated by a licensed health care professional;
2. has received written and signed clearance to resume participation in athletic activities from the licensed health care professional;
3. has submitted the written and signed clearance to resume participation in athletic activities to the school accompanied by written permission to resume participation from the student’s parent or guardian.
If a student is reasonably suspected after observation of having sustained a concussion or brain injury and is removed from an athletic activity as required above, the parent or guardian of the student shall be notified by the school of the date and approximate time of the injury suffered by the student, the signs and symptoms of a concussion or brain injury that were observed, and any actions taken to treat the student.
Coaches shall comply with this policy and apply their safety and injury prevention training. A coach who fails to do is subject to disciplinary action, including but not limited to termination of employment.
The district shall establish a return to learn protocol for students that have sustained a concussion. The return to learn protocol shall recognize that students who have sustained a concussion and returned to school may need informal or formal accommodations, modifications of curriculum, and monitoring by medical or academic staff until the student is fully recovered.
It is recognized that coaches cannot be aware of every incident in which a student has symptoms of a possible concussion or brain injury. As such, students and their parents have a responsibility to honestly report symptoms of a possible concussion or brain injury to the student’s coaches on a timely basis.
Legal Reference: LB 260 Concussion Awareness Act
