Your child has been chosen to be a part of a school sport. Before the season begins, we would like to take this opportunity to educate you regarding the safety policies and guidelines we are following to prevent and manage potential injuries.
All coaches are responsible for completing a review of the OPHEA guidelines of sport, which indicate the safety precautions and responsibilities of involvement in the sport. Coaches are responsible for knowing and following board policies with respect to sport and to complete their training regarding the board Concussion protocol.
As part of the Concussion protocol, students and parents are expected to be aware and informed of the severity of concussions and the prevention and management of these injuries. Details regarding the policy can be found at http://www.lkdsb.net/Parents/concussion.htm. There are community medical professionals who offer baseline concussion testing that you may be interested in completing before your child participates in athletics. In some instances, this baseline testing has provided details to help aid and enhance the student’s quality of post injury care.
Players who sustain an injury or a suspected concussion during the sport will immediately be removed from play. Players who are involved in instances of possible head trauma will be briefly assessed by the coach. Students who show no signs or symptoms of a concussion can return immediately to play.
Students who present any signs or symptoms, such as those listed on the back of this sheet will be removed from play and will be sent home a checklist form (C2) indicating what the coach observed and will need to be monitored for additional signs or symptoms. If these symptoms increase or appear after the 24- 48 hour period, students should seek medical attention. If the student presents severe signs and symptoms immediately following the questionable incident, the student will be
removed from play, the parent will be contacted and the student will be sent home with the checklist form and a referral for immediate medical attention before the student can return to play. (C3)
Students who are advised to seek medical attention, or those who present symptoms within the 24-48 hour waiting period will be required to have a doctor’s note to inform the school of the current status of the injury. Students who are cleared at this point by the doctor with a diagnosis of no concussion can return to learn and return to play. Students who are diagnosed with a concussion at this point will be required to follow our Return to Learn/Return to Play policy (C4), a school team will work with the
student and parent to complete the steps.
Research has shown that students who follow the return to Learn/Return to Play policy tend to recover quicker than those who return too soon. Once all stages of the Return to Learn/Return to Play policy have been completed, students require final clearance from their doctor to return to school and play full time.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding this policy, please contact the coach. Students who suffer suspected concussions outside of our school should make contact with school administration to determine next steps for Return to Learn/Return to Play.
Return to Learn Guidelines - each step must be symptom free before progressing to the next one
Step 1: Rest (for a minimum of 48 hours or until symptom free)
● no school
● no screen time, reading or physical activity
Step 2 : Getting Ready
● short activities (15 min or screen time 1 - 2 times daily)
● light physical activity (walking a few minutes)
Step 3 : Gradual return with Modifications
● attend for shortened days
● no tests, homework, assignments
● attend less stressful classes
● avoid loud environments, gym, recess, cafeteria, carrying heavy books or bags
Step 4: Increased participation
● back to full days for most of the days in a week
● complete homework and 1 test per week
Step 5 : Full Participation
● return to normal activities
● regular attendance, completion of homework and tests
● extracurricular activities
(Each situation is unique and requires the participation of the school/home team) | Return to Play Guidelines - each step must be symptom free before progressing to the next one
Step 1: No activity, only complete rest 24 - 48 hours
Step 2 : Light activity/exercise
● short walks, stationary bike, swimming
● no resistance or weight training
Step 3 : Sport Specific activities
● 20 - 30 min activity, up to 2 times per day
● no body contact or movements with high speed stops or jarring motions
Step 4 : Sport Specific practice with team without body contact
● start slowly with one or two teammates then increase to full team
● resistance training can begin at a low level with gradual increases as tolerated
Step 5 : Begin drills with body contact
● retrun to regular practices including contact
Step 6 : Game Play
(All steps should be done in consultation with a medical pofessional)
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