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Schools

Schools Educating Athletes, Parents on Concussions

Student athletes and their parents must complete a concussion training session before tryouts at all Prince William County high schools.

Effective this fall, a new regulation has been put in place for Prince William County high schools making it mandatory for all athletes and a parent to participate in concussion education training, in order for the student to be eligible to step onto the playing field for tryouts. In previous years, sports such as swimming, tennis, and track and field were exempt from concussion testing (which is different from the concussion training), however, now all athletes must participate in the training as well as the testing.

"Our goal is to educate athletes and their parents on how concussions are caused, how to prevent them, how to recognize the signs and symptoms, what to do [if they suspect a concussion], and the steps that we go through for return to play criteria," said Gar-field high school's head athletic trainer, Brandon Holland.

All the athletic trainers in Prince William County collaborated over the summer to create the concussion training. The trainers first got together to develop a concussion policy, and then worked to develop a training program which people who are not medically trained can present to athletes, parents, and other school faculty.

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"What prevented us from doing this in the past was money," said Holland.

The cost to test a small group of students for concussion is substantial and can significantly hamper a school's budget. Each athlete must be first given a baseline test at the beginning of the season and then tested again when a concussion is suspected. The county recently received a grant which makes it possible for all high schools to test their athletes. A concussion baseline test remains valid for two years and covers all sports.

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Middle schools in Prince William County also have a mandated concussion training program which takes effect this fall. Middle school students are not tested for concussions, because the results for athletes under the age of 14 are not consistent enough to accurately measure. The training program is slightly different from the high school training program, and any parent who has a middle school and high school athlete must attend both programs in order for each student to be eligible to tryout for a team.

The concussion training is valid for the length of the student's enrollment at the school, but incoming freshmen and new enrollees will be required to complete the training with a parent before tryouts.

Holland believes the changes in Prince William County are coming ahead of a statewide mandate soon to be enacted for all Virginia high schools. The county is working to stay ahead of regulation to make the transition smooth for parents, athletes, and faculty.

The concussion training program is an hour long in duration, and includes a power point presentation and video which illustrates the potential severity of concussions, and covers the facts about concussions, the responsibilities of the parents, students, athletic trainers, coaches, and school faculty, and discusses the reasons why athletes suspected of concussions have to sit out from athletic activity, and what parents need to look for, in terms of behavior of the student, when the athlete is away from school.

Each high school in Prince William County is conducting its own concussion training program, though all schools go through the same program. If a parent and student cannot make the training for their host school, they are encouraged to attend training at another school. Training must be completed together, and if the student and parent have not completed the training before practice begins, they must make arrangements with the athletic trainer to do so before the athlete will be allowed on the field.

"A lot of times, these young athletes suffer serious head injuries and the damage is long term or permanent," added Holland. "And it's something that is much more easily avoided than it is treated, and that's the goal behind all of this, to prevent and avoid serious injury."

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