Students across Connecticut have settled back into their classrooms and football, soccer, hockey, and other fall sports seasons are well underway. This year Connecticut has implemented new trainings and procedures to keep student athletes safe from concussions so that they can continue to excel on the field and in the classroom.

As the result of a law passed by the General Assembly, the State Department of Education (SDE) released its Concussion Plan and Guidelines for Connecticut Schools and will begin ensuring that coaches, parents, and athletes are familiar with its contents. This document provides comprehensive information on the signs and symptoms of a concussion, the risks posed by a concussion, how to obtain medical treatment, and how to allow for a complete recuperation.

The symptoms of a concussion often do not appear until hours after the initial injury. Beginning this year, student athletes and their parents will be provided with a document familiarizing them with the symptoms of a concussion, and information on how to safely help someone with a concussion. By providing parents with this information, we can ensure concussed athletes receive the care they need quicker than they have in the past and help avoid further injuries. All student athletes and their parents or legal guardians will now need to sign a consent form acknowledging that they have received the concussion education materials before the start of any athletic season.

It is required that all interscholastic and intramural coaches take a concussion education course in order to receive their coaching permit. Beginning this year, coaches will be required to review concussion and head injury materials prepared by the SDE in order to ensure they are familiar with current concussion safety protocols.

A concussion is a traumatic brain injury characterized by a temporary loss in brain function, and frequently resulting in subtle or significant cognitive and emotional symptoms. Concussions can be caused by a direct blow to the head or as the result of rapid acceleration or deceleration of the body or rotational forces significant enough to shake the brain.

Not giving the brain enough time to heal after a concussion can be extremely dangerous. Athletes who have had a concussion have a greater chance of suffering a repeat injury. A second concussion received before the brain fully heals from the first can slow recovery and increase the chances for long-term health problems. Long-term consequences can include permanent changes to how the athlete, thinks, feels, or acts, as well as their ability to learn and remember. A repeat concussion can even result in brain swelling, permanent brain damage, or death.

All concussions are serious injuries to the brain, and it is important that they be treated that way. The new protocols released this year will help give parents, athletes, and coaches the tools they need to manage concussion risks and help keep students healthy on the field and in the classroom.