UTAH YOUTH SOCCER ASSOCIATION CONCUSSION & TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY POLICY

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1 Page 1 f 5 Mdified 4/16/13 UTAH YOUTH SOCCER ASSOCIATION CONCUSSION & TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY POLICY Effective May 10, 2011, a Utah law called the The Prtectin f Athletes with Head Injuries Act (UCA , et seq.), requires all amateur sprts rganizatins t adpt and enfrce a cncussin head injury plicy. This plicy will ensure the cnsistent and unifrm implementatin f a well-established cncussin management prgram and return-t-play guidelines fr the Utah Yuth Sccer Assciatin. Educatin A cncussin is a brain injury and ALL brain injuries are serius. They are caused by a bump, blw, r jlt t the head, r by a blw t anther part f the bdy with the frce transmitted t the head. They can range frm mild t severe and can disrupt the way the brain nrmally functins. All cncussins are ptentially serius and may result in cmplicatins including prlnged brain damage and even death if nt recgnized and managed prperly. In ther wrds, even a ding r a bump t the head can be serius. Cncussin cannt be physically seen, and mst ccur withut lss f cnsciusness. Signs and symptms may appear immediately after the injury r can take hurs r days t fully appear. If an athlete reprts any signs r symptms f cncussin, r is bserved expressing signs r symptms f a cncussin, seek medical attentin immediately. Signs Signs and Symptms f a Cncussin Appears dazed Vacant facial expressin Slurred speech Mves clumsily r displays Seizures r cnvulsins incrdinatin Lss f cnsciusness Answers questins slwly Symptms Headaches Pressure in head Nausea r vmiting Ringing in the ears Balance prblems r dizziness Blurred, duble, r fuzzy visin Sensitivity t light r nise Feeling sluggish r slwed dwn Feeling fggy r grggy Drwsiness Change in sleep patterns Amnesia Dn t feel right Fatigue r lw energy Sadness Nervusness r anxiety Irritability Mre emtinal r irritable Cnfusin Cncentratin r memry prblems Repeating the same questin/cmment

2 Page 2 f 5 Mdified 4/16/13 What t d if smene is suspected t have sustained a cncussin: Ntify a cach, parent/legal guardian, respnsible adult if it is suspected smene is experiencing signs r symptms f a cncussin. Never ignre a bump r blw t the head. If a cncussin is suspected then an evaluatin by a medical prfessinal is required. A qualified health care prvider can diagnse a cncussin and advise when fllwing return-t-play guidelines is warranted. Rest! Players suffering frm a cncussin need time t allw the brain t heal prperly. Yung develping brains recvering frm a current cncussin are susceptible t sustaining a secnd cncussin knwn as Secnd Impact Syndrme. This cnditin can cause permanent brain damage, r even death. It is imprtant t rest until apprval frm a dctr r qualified health care prvider is given befre fully returning t activity. D nt take anti-inflammatry medicatins such as Ibuprfen, Advil, Aleve, r Mtrin withut the apprval frm a dctr. These medicatins thin the bld, and can pssibly cause mre damage t a brain that has sustained a cncussin. Pssible cnsequences fr returning a player t the field frm a cncussin t sn: Athletes with the signs and symptms f a cncussin shuld be remved frm play immediately. Cntinuing t play with a cncussin leaves the yung athlete especially vulnerable t greater injury. As quted frm the Center fr Disease Cntrl (CDC), A repeat cncussin that ccurs befre the brain recvers frm the first - usually within a shrt perid f time (hurs, days, r weeks) - can slw recvery r increase the likelihd f having lng-term prblems. In rare cases, repeat cncussin can result in brain swelling, permanent brain damage, and even death. This mre serius cnditin is called secnd impact syndrme. Keep athletes with a knwn r suspected cncussin frm play until they have been evaluated and given permissin t return t play by a qualified health care prvider with experience in evaluating fr cncussin. Remember: It s better t miss ne game than the whle seasn. Cncussin Plicy Actin Plan Utah Yuth Sccer Assciatins and Clubs: Utah Yuth Sccer Assciatin (UYSA) is defined as: - UYSA paid and vlunteer administrative staff. - All registered UYSA players. - UYSA-affiliated clubs and its members. - UYSA-affiliated independent teams. - UYSA-affiliated recreatin prgrams. Educatin and Ntificatin Requirements: UYSA adpts these educatin and ntificatin plicies fr the management f cncussins in yuth sccer. All caches (paid and vlunteer) must be educated in the nature and risk f cncussins prir t the first practice/cmpetitin. This educatin shall include signs and symptms f cncussins.

3 Page 3 f 5 Mdified 4/16/13 All players and the parent(s)/legal guardian(s) f thse players are required t sign and return annually an infrmed cnsent frm relating t the nature and risk f cncussins. This shall include the review f the UYSA Cncussin Plicy which includes the signs and symptms f cncussins, and the UYSA Cncussin Clearance Frm. The UYSA Cncussin Plicy and UYSA Cncussin Clearance Frm can be fund n the UYSA website under Risk Management heading, r TOSH Cncussin Infrmatin. Actin Plan fr Head Injuries: UYSA has adpted these plicies fr the management f cncussins in yuth sccer. Any player shwing signs r symptms f a cncussin shall be immediately remved frm participatin/cmpetitin. All UYSA players sustaining r suspected f sustaining a traumatic brain injury MUST use the UYSA Cncussin Clearance Frm in rder t return t play. UYSA will nt allw any athlete wh has sustained r is suspected f sustaining a traumatic brain injury t return t play until UYSA has received a UYSA Cncussin Clearance Frm fr that athlete bearing the signature f a Qualified Health Care Prvider. A Qualified Health Care Prvider is smene wh meets the fllwing requirements: Licensed in the state f Utah under the Divisin f Occupatinal and Prfessinal Licensing Act May evaluate and manage a cncussin within the health care prvider s scpe f practice Successfully cmpleted a cntinuing educatin curse in the evaluatin and management f a cncussin within 3 years. Apprpriate Clearance f Head Injuries: UYSA will fllw these guidelines fr managing cncussins r suspected cncussins in yuth sccer. The Qualified Health Care Prvider wh has cleared the athlete must prvide a statement that they are trained in the evaluatin and management f cncussins. Optimally, all athletes shuld prgress thrugh the Return-T-Play Prtcl (R.T.P.P) n the UYSA Cncussin Clearance Frm befre returning t play, but athletes may return t play withut cmpleting the prtcl if indicated n the UYSA Cncussin Clearance Frm by a Qualified Health Care Prvider. The UYSA Cncussin Clearance Frm must be returned t the apprpriate administratin befre final clearance is granted. The Apprpriate Administratin is the persn(s) respnsible fr the clearance infrmatin depending n the event in which they were injured. UYSA Administrative Staff is administratively respnsible fr the clearances f head injuries that ccur during a UYSA-hsted event. A UYSA-hsted event is defined as:

4 Page 4 f 5 Mdified 4/16/13 1. Spring State Cup Turnament 2. Fall State Cup Turnament 3. Presidents Cup Turnament 4. All State Select/ODP Events 5. US Yuth Sccer Regin IV and Natinal Events Club, Independent and Recreatinal teams are administratively respnsible fr the clearance f head injuries that ccur during a UYSA nn-hsted event. A UYSA nn-hsted event is defined as nne f the events listed abve as a UYSA-hsted event, and may include, but are nt limited t, the fllwing events: 1. Regular seasn play 2. Practices, scrimmages, tryuts, and camps 3. Club-hsted events and turnaments Caches Requirements: Shall be educated as t the nature and risk f cncussins including cntinuing t play after a cncussin r head injury. This educatin shall include signs and symptms f cncussins. Educatin materials are available belw at n charge. Shall educate their athletes n the signs and symptms f cncussins and encurage athletes t ntify a cach if they r a teammate exhibits thse signs r symptms. Shall immediately remve any athlete frm participatin/cmpetitin wh is suspected f sustaining a cncussin. Shall nt allw an athlete wh has been remved frm play because f a suspected cncussin t return t play until the athlete has received written clearance frm a Qualified Health Care Prfessinal trained in the evaluatin and management f cncussins. Parents/Legal Guardian Requirements: Shall annually review, sign, and return the infrmed cnsent frm t the Utah Yuth Sccer Club fr which their child plays befre their child participates in any practice r cmpetitin. Their signature acknwledges that they have read, understd, and agreed t abide by the UYSA Cncussin Plicy and UYSA Cncussin Clearance Frm. Athlete Requirements: Shall annually review, sign and return t the Utah Yuth Sccer Club fr which they play, an infrmed cnsent frm n cncussin prir t initiating practice r cmpetitin. Shall infrm a cach r parent if they, r a teammate, exhibit any signs r symptms f a cncussin. The athlete may nt return t play until he r she has been evaluated by and received written clearance t resume participatin frm a qualified health care prvider wh is

5 Page 5 f 5 Mdified 4/16/13 trained in the evaluatin and management f a cncussin within the health care prvider s scpe f practice in accrdance with this plicy. *Fr questins abut the UYSA Cncussin Plicy, r fr printed cpies f the plicy: Call: , r battridge@utahyuthsccer.net *Fr mre infrmatin regarding sprts related cncussins, please visit the Centers fr Disease Cntrl and Preventin website at: