Page 4 THE VILLADOM TIMES IV • December 14, 2011 Mahwah Sports-related concussion policy approved by board by Frank J. McMahon The Mahwah Board of Education has adopted a policy and related regulation for the prevention and treatment of sports-related concussions and head injuries. The policy describes a concussion as a traumatic brain injury caused by a direct or indirect blow to the head or body and it states that, to ensure the safety of pupils who participate in interscholastic athletics, it is imperative that student-athletes, coaches, and parents are educated about the nature and treatment of sports-related concussions and other head injuries. “Allowing a student-athlete to return to play before recovering from a concussion increases the chance of a more serious brain injury,” the policy states. State law requires every school district that participates in interscholastic athletics to adopt a policy concerning the prevention and treatment of sports-related concussions and other head injuries among student-athletes and, for the purpose of this policy, “interscholastic athletics” refers to kindergarten through twelfth grade school-sponsored athletic programs where teams or individuals compete against teams or individuals from other schools or school districts. According to the policy, the school district must adopt an interscholastic athletic head injury training program to be completed by the team or school physician, the licensed athletic trainer involved in the interscholastic athletic program, all staff members who coach an interscholastic sport, designated school nurses, and other appropriate school district personnel as designated by the superintendent. Under this policy, the school principal or designee must distribute the New Jersey Department of Education Concussion and Head Injury Fact Sheet and parent/guardian acknowledgement form to every student-athlete who participates in interscholastic sports and the school principal or designee must obtain a signed acknowledgement of the receipt of the fact sheet by the student-athlete’s parent or guardian and keep it on file. The school district may also require pre-season baseline testing of all student-athletes before the student-athlete begins participation in an interscholastic athletic program because prevention of a sports-related concussion and head injuries is an important component of the school district’s program. The policy requires that any student-athlete who exhibits the signs or symptoms of a sports-related concussion or other head injury during practice or competition must be immediately removed from play and may not return to play that day. Emergency medical assistance must be contacted when symptoms get worse, loss of consciousness, direct neck pain associated with the injury, or any other sign the supervising school staff member determines requires emergency medical attention. If available, when the student-athlete is exhibiting signs or symptoms, the student-athlete will be evaluated by the school or team physician and the school principal or designee must contact the student-athlete’s parent and inform the parent of the suspected sports-related concussion or other head injury. A student-athlete who participates in interscholastic athletics and who sustains, or is suspected of sustaining, a concussion or other head injury must have a medical examination conducted by his or her physician or licensed health care provider. The student-athlete’s physician or licensed health care provider must be trained in the evaluation and management of concussion to determine the presence or absence of a sports-related concussion or head injury. The student-athlete’s physician or licensed health care provider must provide to the school district a written medical release/clearance for the student-athlete indicating when the student-athlete is able to return to the activity. That medical release/clearance must indicate the student-athlete is asymptomatic at rest and either may return to the interscholastic athletic activity because the injury was not a concussion or other head injury, or may begin the district’s graduated return to competition and practice protocol outlined in the related regulation. The medical release/clearance must be reviewed and approved by the school or team physician. The policy also requires that a copy of this policy and its related regulation be provided to all youth sports team organizations that operate on school grounds and, in accordance with state law, the school district will not be liable for the injury or death of a person due to the action or inaction of persons employed by, or under contract with, a youth sports team organization that operates on school grounds if the youth sports team organization provides the district proof of an insurance policy in the amount of not less than $50,000 per person, per occurrence, insuring the youth sports team organization against (continued on page 10)