Did you know that children recover from a concussion at a slower pace than adults due to their developing brain?

There is a  growing awareness for the need to educate athletes, coaches, physicians and parents about sports-related concussions.  According to the National Research Council much remains unknown about the extent of concussions in youth; how to diagnose, management and prevent concussions.  School sports programs are a primary focus of much of this research to determine what are the long-term and short term consequences of concussion.  

What can your district do?  How can your district stem the rising tide of concussions in school sports programs.   Education is the first line of defense. Education for athletes, coaches, physicians & parents.   According to the CDC there are definite steps your district can take to create a safe sports culture.

Creating a safe culture in your sports program

• Provide positive messages and praise from coaches for concussion symptom reporting.
• Have parents talk with their children about concussion & expect safe play.
• If injured, get written instructions from a health care provider on when to return to school and play.
• Support their teammates sitting out of play if they have a concussion.

• Enforce the rules of the sport for fair play, safety, and sportsmanship.
• Ensure athletes avoid unsafe actions such as:
  • Striking another athlete in the head
  • Using their head or helmet to contact another athlete
  • Making illegal contacts or checking, tackling, or colliding with an unprotected opponent
  • Intentionally trying to injure or put another athlete at risk for injury.

At Haylor, Freyer & Coon, Inc. our dedicated Public Entities Division can assist your district manage this issue with an Insurance/Risk Management Program designed specifically for schools, school districts, athletic departments.  Our K-12 insurance products provide school officials with the assurance that students have the protection they need and that the school has liability protection from potentially damaging law suits.

For more information contact Sheila Gilroy at sgilroy@haylor.com