With a lot of States adopting a mandatory concussion policy, schools are putting policies in place, which is great, unless you don’t actually follow them.
Writing down policies and procedures is essential to think through handling injuries and action plans, but they are not useful, or legally defensible, if they are not used. When you take the time to craft a policy and educate everyone in how to implement it, it needs to be acted upon. This can sometimes be easier said than done.
During the season, especially late, when tensions and stakes are high, it can be easy to ignore hits to the head so that good players are not being taken out of play. Some players even resist medical check-up during the game and immediately afterwards so that they can continue on the field. Only after the season is over do they then decide that they should have followed up. Make sure that when there is a suspected injury, especially a concussion, that it is assessed and the care plan is followed. You don’t want to be in a position like this one.
Right now, concussions are very popular in the media, so any suspected head injury needs to be assessed by a physician before letting a player return. While this can make it hard on coaches, it is a lot easier than getting a lawsuit later. Unfortunately, coaching has to take legal protection decisions into consideration these days. If you coach, make sure that you understand what you get into: protect your players, yourself and your institution by making sure that you educate all involved and don’t get more involved in wins and losses than player safety. Take the time to assess any injury and listen to medical recommendations regarding your athletes.
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