Jan 29, 2015

Addressing Youth Concussions

The NATA has released a new position statement on the management of sport concussion. The release came during the NATA’s 5th annual Youth Sports Safety Summit in Washington, DC. The new recommendations address education, prevention, documentation and legal aspects, evaluation, and return-to-play considerations including preventing athletes from returning to play the same day as suffering a concussion. Crafted by the NATA Research & Education Foundation, the statement will appear in the March 2014 issue of the Journal of Athletic Training.

“With the continued national spotlight on concussions from professional to youth sports, these recommendations provide a practical roadmap for athletic trainers, physicians and other medical professionals on injury identification and management,” Steven P. Broglio, PhD, ATC, lead author of the position statement and director of the Neurosport Research Lab in the School of Kinesiology at the University of Michigan, told momsteam.com. “We also hope this document will serve as an educational tool for parents and school administrators.

“Athletic trainers (ATs) are commonly the first medical experts available on site to identify and evaluate injuries,” added Broglio. “Without exception, ATs should be present at all organized sporting events – from practices to games – and at all levels of play and work closely with their physician or other designated medical expert to implement these guidelines. In light of these general protocols, each athlete should be treated on an individual basis.”

Click here to view an ahead-of-print abstract of the NATA’s statement.