A new law geared toward high school athletics was recently signed by Governor Andrew Cuomo and will be initiated on July 1, 2012. The law will set up new regulations regarding head injuries sustained while participating in school athletics.
Upon realization of the law, schools will have to keep students out of physical activity for 24 hours after they have had a concussion. Students will also need a doctor’s OK before going back to their sport or activity.
Geneseo, though it’s on the collegiate level and will not be affected by this law, already has a strict policy regarding concussions.
“We already do something way better,” said Mike Mooney, the director of intercollegiate athletics and recreation.
Before being able to return to physical activity, a student at Geneseo must be symptom-free for seven days after his or her concussion, and will be tested during that week to make sure that exercise will not incur any damage.
Assistant Athletic Trainer Jeremie Stearns said that the first step in treating concussions happens at the beginning of the season when athletes in contact sports are asked to undergo a quick test so that a baseline can be established for them, to compare with after they have suffered a concussion.
When students suffer concussions, they must then take a couple of tests to judge their symptoms. The student concussion assessment test – or SCAT 2 test – examines their balance, memory and coordination.
These results, in conjunction with the symptoms a student reports such as dizziness or headaches, give a view of what a student must recover from.
Returning to physical activity before all the symptoms have subsided puts students at risk for a second concussion or for second impact syndrome, Stearns said.
Head Athletic Trainer Sharon West said that even after the symptoms have dissipated, there’s a “progressive return-to-play plan.”
A student must wait and slowly return to exercise, working up to higher intensity. The physical activity progression can take from seven to eight days and if any symptoms return, the entire process is repeated.