Englewood puts in place new concussion policy for athlets
ENGLEWOOD – Members of the Junior Raiders Football program will have to adhere to the city’s new concussion policy, aimed at educating parents and players and reducing the risks to athletes.
“We hope that this new concussion policy will result in more timely treatment of concussions, before they can become a serious impediment to student-athletes’ health,” City Health Officer Nelson Xavier Cruz said.
The city will use Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing, or ImPACT, a computerized evaluation system often used on college and high school athletes, which measures cognitive activity and is sensitive to concussions and other brain injuries.
Cruz said because there are a high number of sports-related concussions with young players, the Health and Recreation departments wanted to make the assessment available.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 135,000 children age 5 to 18 seek emergency room treatment for sports-related concussions annually. But many go untreated because of a “walk it off mentality,” according to the city’s Health Department.
The policy was developed though a partnership with the Health and Recreation departments and is being rolled out for the fall sports season. Recreation officials said it will start as a pilot program with junior football and they hope to expand it to other sports in the future.
The program will provide parents and athletes with information regarding the nature and risk of concussions and head injuries. The athlete and parent or guardian will have to sign a form before the first practice confirming they read the information.
In addition, the policy requires that an athlete suspected of suffering a concussion or head injury during a practice or game must be removed from competition. Athletes who are taken out of play must be evaluated by a doctor and receive a note clearing them before they are allowed to play, according to the policy.
“If you think you have a concussion, you should not return to play on the day of the injury and until a health care professional says you are medically cleared to return to play,” Cruz said.
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