Across the past few years, many states have passed laws to help prevent concussions in high school athletes. Specifically, most laws stipulate that coaches should not send a player back into the game if he or she is showing signs of a concussion.
As a result, many coaches – some of whom have been coaching for decades – are essentially going back to school by taking concussion awareness courses.
In Connecticut, for example, coaches must take a course, review concussion-related training materials on an annual basis, and take a “refresher” class after five years. The primary aim of these courses, naturally, is to identify the symptoms of a concussion. These include headaches, confusion, delayed reaction times, and an inability to concentrate.
If an athlete shows any of these symptoms, they should seek medical help immediately. As providers of sports physical therapy in Downers Grove, we have extensive experience in helping athletes suffering from such symptoms, and can work to get them back on the field safely.